Art of Dreams
by BlueNinja0324
Summary: Dreams are often an escape from reality. But sometimes they can be more real than we might think. For Finn the Human, what at first appeared to be a simple nightmare will lead him on a journey to unexplored lands, where there is very little space between life and death. And along the way, he will need every bit of help he can get to pull all of Ooo away from a road towards ruin.
1. Chapter 1: The Faceless Flames

**Disclaimer: As always, I do not own Adventure Time.**

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 **Chapter 1: The Faceless Flames**

The night sky was completely clear of any clouds, allowing the stars to illuminate the land of Ooo with their splendorous light. The crickets filled the air of the Grasslands with their soothing music and the soft wind against the leaves of the treehouse sent a calming chill through anyone who was lucky enough to listen. Finn the Human was one of those lucky ones.

There was still a few hours left before the sun would rise over the horizon, and nearly everyone across Ooo was slumbering. Jake's snoring was as loud as always and Beemo was simply sitting in the corner with his screen turned off and a cable protruding from his side. Finn, however, lied on his bed with his eyes wide open, staring directly at the wooden ceiling above him and completely lost in his own train of thoughts.

Naturally, the young seventeen-year-old was kept busy nearly every day. Either stopping some petty theft or clearing a cave of a few beasts, the routine was the same. He had grown used to it, and enjoyed it immensely, but every day Finn only got more and more tired. And yet for some reason even he could not explain, his eyes would not close no matter how hard he tried.

Finn was a light sleeper as it was, but the human had never gone so late in the night without sleeping. Something was keeping him awake this time. Maybe it was Jake's loud snoring? It couldn't be since he had grown used to living with the yellow canine for his entire life. Or maybe he was being watched by someone. He dreaded the idea of having to deal with Ice King dressed as a horse again. But Jake's senses were phenomenally better then Finn's, so the fact that he could still sleep denied his theory.

He tossed and turned in his bed, covering himself completely with his sheets or digging his head under the pillow. Nothing he tried allowed him to sleep. _'Oh come on, why?!'_ he thought to himself, annoyed.

Now Finn was beginning to sweat from staying under the sheets for too long, making the entire experience even more frustrating. With a loud grunt of annoyance, he threw the sheets and the pillow off from on top of him and got up from the bed.

It was when he stood right in front of the window that he could also notice the bright light from the moon, but he paid it little mind. Outside the Grasslands were as empty as ever with not a single moving shadow in sight. The only movement was that of the short grass and the leaves of trees in the distance on account of the wind.

A snore louder than the previous ones escaped from Jake's mouth and the canine began to grumble in his sleep. Finn turned to face his friend and contemplated waking him up, but he felt foolish to bother him for something so dumb. Instead, the human silently made his way towards the ladder and went downstairs.

Several candles that Finn had forgotten to put out were still illuminating the way. His footsteps made the floorboards creak as he walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge, letting a yawn escape his mouth in the process. The sudden white light made him squint his eyes, and the cold air made him shiver for a brief second as he reached inside to grab an already open carton of milk. He took a whiff to make sure it was fresh and began to gulp down.

A sudden gust of wind from the outside forced open one of the kitchen's windows, making Finn nearly choke on the milk as all of the candles were put out at once. After recovering, he exclaimed, "What the crud?!"

Finn placed the milk carton back in the fridge and walked towards the open window. The wind was still howling loudly from the outside and all of the hanging pots and pans were slightly hitting each other like chimes. It was surprising that Jake had not come down to check on the commotion, but he was a heavy sleeper after all.

After a short struggle, Finn managed to get the window closed, and the sounds of the wind and the pans all stopped at once. The human breathed a sigh of both relief and annoyance, but when his gaze was directed out the window into the outside, he knew the night would go on for a lot longer than he thought.

It looked small from a distance, but there was no denying its shape and bright array of orange and yellow colors. There was a fire in the distance.

His knowledge of fire told Finn that it should have been spreading since it was burning in the middle of the Grasslands. The entire field would be in flames in no time. But the flames that Finn was seeing remained stationary; unmoving except for the crackles. There was no telling the actual size of the fire since it was far away.

"Maybe it's a campfire?" Finn wondered. "I don't see any people around it, though." The human tried everything to keep his curiosity in check but there was no helping it. "Since I can't sleep, I might as well do something to tire myself out."

Finn went back upstairs to the bedroom and did his best to ready himself with his gear without waking up Jake. Once his bear hat, backpack, and Finn Sword were all on his person, the human quietly made his way back down the steps and out the door of his treehouse towards the distant radiant fire.

The cold air keeping his sweat at bay despite him running, the moon and the stars illuminating his way clearly, and the large plains of the grasslands made the trip a very small hassle. Every step he took made the size of the flames much clearer. It was big, that much was sure.

He arrived after several minutes of travel, and the fire was now in front of him. The size of it was roughly a few feet taller than Finn. There was absolutely nothing underneath it except grass, and yet it remained in just one place without burning the rest of the fields. Its shape made it seem as if it was inside a lamp, but there was nothing surrounding it to keep it in place. No glass, no barrier, nothing. It was one of the strangest things Finn had ever seen, and that was saying something.

"Weird…" he mumbled.

His eyes shot open and he jolted back when he saw something move inside the fire. It was only brief but it was there nonetheless. He moved in a bit closer, feeling the heat of the flames against his skin, but he could not see the same shape he had seen before. At least for a little while.

The shape appeared again for just as brief of a moment. Finn could make it out a bit clearer but the full details were still lost to him. It seemed to be like some sort of hand protruding from the fire, but he could not tell who the hand belonged to. In fact, he could have sworn he was going crazy if he thought anyone could be alive inside. Well, except a fire elemental.

"What's in Glob's name is this?" Finn asked as he took a few steps back from the mysterious flame. "Why is it even here to begin with?"

In a moment almost too quick for Finn to react, the fire burned brighter and covered the area in a blinding flash. The human was fast enough to cover his face and was surprise when he did not feel a burning sensation. The air had remained cold.

The light's intensity went down and Finn was able to uncover his face, which turned into an expression of shock from what he was seeing.

A girl had taken the place of the large fire; at least the silhouette of a girl since she seemed to have no facial features whatsoever. Her skin was made of a bright yellow fire and orange hair burned like a candle. Finn did not want to say it, but the distinction with the mysterious figure was there without any shred of doubt.

"Flame…Princess…?" Finn asked in awe.

The figure that resembled Finn's former love did not respond. Aside from not having a face, everything about her was exactly the same as Flame Princess. Her clothing, her stature, her height, it all matched. But Finn could not tell if it was actually…her.

Then, in a moment that sent shivers down the human's spine, he began to hear strange singing fill the air. It sounded like Flame Princess' voice, but Finn knew it had to be impossible. The voice itself was not coming from the fiery girl's direction; instead it felt as if it were coming from inside his own body. Like some sort of strange spell was being chanted inside his head. The words had no meaning to him and everything about it felt wrong, but Finn could not help but be entranced by the beautiful melody.

Finn began to slowly walk towards Flame Princess, or at least her phantom of sorts. She raised her hand and held it out for him to grab, as if welcoming him to join her. He reached out with his own hand to grab hers as well, feeling the heat increase but never backing away until both their hands touched.

Flame Princess wrapped her hand around Finn's and the pain was very much present the moment they touched, but the human made absolutely zero attempts to back away. His eyes were wide as he stared as the faceless girl and continued to hear the beautiful singing in his head. She moved her other hand up and removed his bear hat, completely burning it to ashes at her touch. But once again, Finn only paid heed to her and nothing else.

The fiery specter leaned in and Finn heard her soothing voice whisper in his ear. _"Find me where skin burns but there is no fire."_

Everything after that happened in an instant. The melody in Finn's head stopped and he was knocked out of his trance. His first instinct was to pull his burning hand away from the fiery girl, but her grip was too strong for him to break out of. Not only did he have to deal with the pain of burning, but also the pain of having his hand crushed by the specters immense strength.

The human screamed and fell to the grassy ground on his knees. Flame Princess' hand began to glow less with every passing second, as if her fire was beginning to go out. It reached the point where it seemed like her entire arm was being transformed into black smoke, and it only continued to spread through her entire body until she seemed like nothing more than a haunting shadow looking down at him with her blank face. The same black substance also began to spread through Finn's own arm.

He began to panic. Despite his attempts at getting up from the ground, his legs had gone completely numb. The black substance had reached the base of his neck and slowly creeped up towards the rest of his face.

"What…What is this?!" he asked as he continued to struggle.

The shadowy version of Flame Princess gave no response. Finn could only watch in horror as the black substance reached his mouth and he began to choke as every bit of oxygen seemed to be sucked out of his lungs.

And then he woke up.

His bed had been drenched in sweat and he took in all the air he could into his lungs as he sat up. The sun was shining in through the window, a welcome sight after the dark environment Finn just had the bad luck of experiencing. He looked frantically at his arms and ran them around his torso, breathing a final sigh of relief as he fund everything to be okay.

A pleasant aroma hit his nose after several extra seconds of calming himself down. Finn recognized the smell more than anything, and it was further proved when he heard Jake humming a tune loudly from the kitchen below.

"Finn, breakfast!" the yellow canine shouted. "I made Bacon Pankaaaaaaaakes!"

Finn chuckled. "Coming, Jake!"

The human removed the covers and stood up from his bed, ready to start the day.

He thanked Glob it was all just a nightmare.

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 **Note: For those of you waiting for the Sentinels update, I think this should explain why it's taking a while. On the other hand, welcome to a new story, ladies and gentlemen. As always, constructive criticism welcome.**

 **Next Chapter: Elder of the Woods**


	2. Chapter 2: Elder of the Woods

**Chapter 2: Elder of the Woods**

Finn ate the breakfast that Jake had prepared in silence. The yellow dog had finished his pancakes earlier and was now using his long tongue to lick the empty plate clean, despite the fact that he had more than the human.

The morning routine had gone as usual. Finn got dressed, sat down, the two brothers shared a few laughs as they ate causing Jake to nearly choke. Beemo and Neptr were both busy playing cards in the corner of the room, paying no mind to the two adventurers on the table; everything was going as well as always. And yet, deep inside Finn's mind, he could only focus on the memories of the nightmare he had the night prior.

Normally, Finn would forget most dreams a few seconds after waking up, but this particular one was carved into his mind. He could remember everything that happened clearly, and he shivered when he remember the feeling of nearly being suffocated to death by the strange faceless replica of Flame Princess. But the thing that stuck with him the most was the haunting melody he heard in his head during the ordeal. That eerie tune that seemed to take hold of Finn's entire being.

Jake must have noticed the human got lost in thought because he tilted his head in confusion. "Finn, you there?"

Finn came back to reality and finished swallowing the piece of bacon that was still in his mouth. "Yeah, I am. I guess I must've dozed off for a second there."

"Oh," was Jake's only response.

"So, what were we talking about?"

Jake took another lick of the plate before replying. "It wasn't that important. Anyway, you're eating a lot slower than usual. And you always chow down on my bacon pancakes! Is there something bothering you?"

"No," Finn replied after taking another bite. "I just had a weird dream last night and I still haven't wrapped my head around it."

"Is there ever any logical reason to try and find the meaning to a dream? They're just gibberish. Wait…was it a prophetic dream?"

"The Cosmic Owl wasn't there."

"Then what are you getting worked up about? Eat your pancakes. We've got a long day ahead of us."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Man, you really are jacked up this morning." Jake stretched his arms and placed his plate all the way in the sink before explaining. "Last night, PB told us to go check out the woods near her kingdom on account of some 'weird readings' or whatever science mumbo-jumbo she went on about. Probably just another monster to beat up."

"Oh yeah. I remember."

"Right? And I wanna get it over with as soon as possible. I promised Lady I'd be back home by noon today, otherwise she's gonna kill me."

Finn said no more and just focused on finishing the remainder of his food. There were still a few scraps left when he was done, but he was as full as he could get without getting sick later on from traveling. Once Jake had made sure all of the dishes were placed in the sink and Finn grabbed his sword, the two adventurers set off from their treehouse after saying farewells to Beemo and Neptr, with the yellow dog stretching to his large form as the human rode on top of him.

Along the way, Finn continued to think about the dream he had the night prior. He wanted to tell himself none of it was real, but it felt that way. The pain on his hand was carved deep into his memory and he could remember every agonizing second that "Flame Princess" burned and crushed it with seemingly no mercy. There was also her skin becoming what looked like smoke and nearly choking him to death. But the thing that stood with him the most were the words that she told him beforehand: _"Find me where skin burns but there is no fire."_

It made no sense to him whatsoever. What could possibly burn skin that was not fire? Finn could think of a few things, but none of them helped in narrowing the search. Could it be some kind of acid? But there was no place in Ooo that Finn knew had any acid in it. Except PB's lab, maybe. Or maybe Jake was right and he was thinking way too much into it.

' _It was only a nightmare,'_ Finn told himself. _'Nothing else. Your brain is just donking up because you keep thinking about Flame Princess. Just stop it already!'_

He shook his head furiously and his hat nearly fell off his head, but Jake was too busy paying attention to where he was going to notice the human's ecstatic movement. It was hard to tell how long they had been riding but they were already out of the Grasslands, trekking through the yellowish fields of the Candy Kingdom. The yellow dog took a sharp turn into the woods filled with pink-leaved trees. Now it was only a matter of finding anything out of the ordinary.

Jake stretched back down to his normal size since the trees were making it difficult for him to navigate properly. Finn was able to jump of the canine with ease without him having to stop first; he had done this too many times to count and it happened naturally. So far, everything looked the same as ever.

PB had failed to mention where exactly in the woods was the problem. Now Finn and Jake would probably have to spend hours looking around and maybe not even find anything in the end. This only made both of them-especially Jake-annoyed and frustrated.

"Ugh, this is gonna take forever," Jake whined.

Finn placed his hand against the dog's mouth to silence him. "Wait, do you hear that?"

Jake focused on listening in as well and knew what Finn was talking about. It was faint but it was still there nonetheless; the sound of someone playing bongos in the distance.

The two adventurers remained silent as they walked towards the source of the sound. It got louder the more they followed it, meaning they must have been getting close. It got to the point where the rhythm was as clear as day, and that stood between them and it was a pair of bushes. Finn gently moved one of them to the side and took a peek, with Jake shrinking and sitting on his shoulder to get a good look as well.

There was a small wooden shack in the middle of the woods, one that neither Finn nor Jake had ever seen before. It had all of the basics: a chimney, a porch, and several windows. There was nothing peculiar about it, especially since it also looked a bit run down. And sitting on a rocking chair underneath the porch was a purple cloaked elderly man.

His face was mostly covered by the hood of the cloak, but his green colored skin and gray beard were in clear view. He was barefoot and both of his feet were muddy because of it. The bongos that Finn and Jake heard were sitting on his lap, and he played them like a true expert. No doubt he had been doing it for most of his life. There was a wooden staff leaning on the wall near him, and it was taller than the man himself by a full foot. But the most interesting thing about it was the shiny white orb that was merged with the top.

Whoever the man was, Finn and Jake failed to see how he could possibly be any danger, but they decided to step out of the bushes and show themselves anyway. Despite this, the old man paid no mind to them and continued to play his bongos normally.

Finn walked closer to the porch and cleared his throat. "Uh, excuse me. Sir?"

He must have gotten the old man's attention because the bongo playing came to an abrupt stop. "Huh? Who's there? I already said I won't have the pizza! All of you think it's a simple piece of food, but don't let it fool you. It's aggressive."

It was now clear that the old man was blind. The two heroes shot confused glances at each other then turned back to face him. "Our names are Finn and Jake," Finn said. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"THE PAN!" the old man shouted loudly while smashing his hands on the bongos once.

"Wh-what?" Jake asked, even more confused.

"Those darn raccoons! Nature's thieves, they are! They stole my precious frying pan…Where am I supposed to cook my eggs now?! I may be a wizard, but only the fine art of cooking can create eggs as delicious as mine. I refuse to cook without it!"

"Well, we don't have your frying pan!" Jake said, already getting impatient.

Finn could not blame his brother. There was definitely something off about the wizard.

"Ah, but that can change," the wizard said. "You said your names were Finn and Jake, am I correct?"

"You are," Finn replied.

"Haha! I knew it! The orb never lies." The old man stood up from his chair and jumped out of the porch after grabbing his staff, landing right in front of the heroes with such agility that they were not expecting. "Weimar's the name. Elder of the woods and occasional traveling bongo player across all of Ooo and beyond. Charmed."

"Uh, we're over here," Jake said as Weimar pointed in the wrong direction.

"Oh, of course," Weimar replied and realigned himself. "Charmed."

Finn rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "So what's this about a frying pan?"

"As I said, raccoons took it in the middle of the night. I managed to track the vermin down to somewhere in these very woods, and I refuse to rest until I get my precious frying pan back."

"How are you gonna find it if you're blind?" Jake asked.

The yellow dog briefly howled in pain as Weimar hit him over the head with the staff. "Fool! I'm a wizard unlike no other. My powers are greater than your feeble and tiny minds could possibly understand. However…it seems that I no longer have to do anything."

Finn and Jake exchanged glances. "What do you mean?" the human asked.

"I've foreseen your arrival."

"Seen?" Jake asked.

"Yes, seen! You two are heroes, that much is sure. Then would you be kind enough to fetch an old man his frying pan?"

"Look pal, we're only here to make you leave these woods. Unless you plan to pay the royal tax in order to live here, you should just beat it."

Weimar grumbled as he rubbed his beard. "Such a rude mutt. Very well, I shall leave _if_ you get my frying pan back."

Jake chuckled. "Like heck we will."

The yellow dog stretched his arms and tried to wrap them around Weimar, but the old wizard was immediately covered by a cloud of smoke and disappeared from his position.

"What?" Finn asked, confused. "Where did-"

He was interrupted by loud cackling coming from behind the duo. They quickly turned around to find Weimar standing there. "You're gonna have to try harder than that, boys."

Jake growled. "Why, you…"

Again the dog tried to catch the wizard, and again he failed as another cloud of smoke teleported him away. This time he was on the roof of his shack. "When I said I would not leave these woods without my frying pan, I was being serious. A wizard never lies."

"That's a lie in itself!" Jake yelled.

"Take it whatever way you like. But my decision is final, gentlemen."

Finn placed a hand on Jake's shoulder before the dog tried to stretch again. "Dude, let's just find that frying pan and get it over with."

"But he's using us as errand boys!"

"I don't like this any more than you do, but this isn't exactly the most tedious thing we've ever done. Come on."

"Ugh, fine. But after this is over I'm going straight back to Lady."

"Haha!" Weimar laughed from the roof of his shack. "I knew I could count on you lads. Now hurry back with that pan! And I'll be sure to give you a proper reward when you come back as well!"

Finn pulled on Jake's shoulder to get him walking. As the two heroes began to walk, they could hear Weimar begin to play his bongos from a distance.

"I can't believe we're going to retrieve a pan from some dirty raccoons," Jake whined.

"It's just raccoons, dude. We'll track down where they're hiding and be back with that pan before you know it."

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The sun was already setting when Finn and Jake nearly made it back to Weimar's shack. Scratches and small bite marks were present across their entire bodies and both of them were exhausted. The raccoons put up more of a fight than they were expecting, and they were, unfortunately, unable to find the frying pan they were looking for.

Jake was busy licking one of the wounds on his arm as they walked and Finn dragged his sword across the ground behind him, having lost his sheathe to the raccoons. A few strands of hair were protruding from inside Finn's bear hat, which was now tattered and needed repair. The same could also be said for his green backpack when it broke from the bottom and he lost all of his belongings. Needless to say, the entire day had gone horribly for the two adventurers.

"Freaking raccoons, man," Jake said.

"I never knew they could put up such a fight," Finn replied. "They were so fast…"

"We did all of that for nothing! How are we supposed to make that wizard dude leave now?"

"Let's just talk to him and tell him we couldn't find his frying pan. Maybe he'll just accept its loss and buy a new one."

The two heroes made it back to Weimar's shack, and the old wizard was waiting for them on the chair of his porch. He did not have his bongos this time, and was instead humming a low tune while smoking from a pipe. Finn's and Jake's footsteps must have reached his ear because his head jolted when they came near.

"Two brave heroes who have just come back from a glorious battle approach, am I correct?" he said.

"I wouldn't call it glorious…" Jake mumbled.

"Weimar…" Finn began, "we couldn't find your frying pan. We looked everywhere inside the raccoons den but it was nowhere to be found. We're sorry."

Strangely enough, Weimar simply began to cackle loudly. "Well of course you didn't find it." The old wizard reached behind him and pulled out the pan in question. "It was here the entire time."

"WHAT?!" Finn and Jake said in unison.

Jake began to become ecstatic. Gibberish began to come out of his mouth as he flayed his arms in the air, sounding extremely furious. It was not long before he simply turned around and began to walk away.

"Jake, where are you going?!" Finn asked.

"I'm not dealing with any of this! You deal with this lunatic, but I'm leaving! Otherwise I will snap his neck!"

The dog's ranting could be continuously heard until he was out of ear's reach. Finn narrowed his eyes as he approached Weimar, who just kept smiling while smoking from his pipe. "Why did you send us on a wild goose chase?"

Weimar blew some smoke directly on Finn's face, causing the human to cough. "I needed to see if you truly were as great as my foresight showed me. I can tell it was partially right. You're too easily fooled and should probably work on that."

Finn grinded his teeth and raised his fist to punch Weimar. "No I'm not!"

The wizard simply teleported behind him before the punch could connect. "However, I can also tell that you have a good heart."

"So it was all just a test?" an angry Finn asked.

"Of a sort…But never let it be said I'm not a man of my word. I promised I would give you a reward when you came back, and so you shall receive it."

Weimar walked past Finn and grabbed his staff before reaching for his shack's door. He opened it and gestured for the human to follow inside, even if he was a bit hesitant to do so at first. Nevertheless, he did exactly that while keeping a close eye on the cloaked wizard.

The inside of the shack was exactly what Finn would expect from a wizard's home. Wooden shelves with all manner of jars with strange liquids placed on them; all kinds of alchemical potions and a boiling cauldron to brew them; and an abundance of books placed wherever they could fit. None of the book titles or labels on the potions made any sense to Finn, so he just ignored them altogether. And he did not even bother to try and make out what was inside each jar since they were mostly blurry.

All of the lighting inside the shack was coming from either a few dimly lit candles or the bright purple glow coming from whatever was inside the cauldron. Weimar stood in front of it and leaned closer as the steam covered all that was left to see of his face.

"Come here, boy," Weimar said.

Finn was hesitant for a moment but did as the wizard asked. As soon as Finn came within reach, Weimar took hold of his right hand and held the palm close to his face.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Shhhhhh," Weimar silenced the human before he could finish.

The old wizard removed his hood, showing his hairless head and eyes that had no pupils, only blankness. Finn was drawn back a bit by the sight.

Weimar ran his other hand over the palm of Finn's as he hummed a low tune. "Ah yes, I can feel it. You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?"

Finn was utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"The nightmare," Weimar replied. "You know of what I speak. The spirits don't lie. A long lost lover seeking your help. A girl of flame with no face, and a melody that would send the strongest of men into a trance of pure bliss."

The human's eyes widened in disbelief. How could this strange wizard that he had never know before possibly know all of this information? And it was all just a simple nightmare. Nothing more.

Finn pulled his hand away. "Who are you? How do you know this?!"

"You've gone through so many trials in your life, but all of them simply tested you physical strength. But the one that awaits you in the near future will test both your heart and mind to their fullest extent. And many will suffer, but none more than you will."

"No. No, none of this is true. You're insane!"

"Am I, boy? Your fate has already been sealed. The girl in your dream has made sure of that by placing her mark on you."

Finn was confused until he looked back at the palm of his hand. A black mark was beginning to morph onto his skin. A circle with what appeared to be the sideways head of a crow in the center. And all the while he felt his skin burning as clearly as he did in his nightmare, and his head he began to hear her melody once again.

"GAHHHHHH!" the human screamed. "Get away from me! Get out of my head!"

Finn turned and began to run towards the exit to the shack.

"The spirits have deemed it so, boy!" Weimar shouted. "She will haunt you until she is found!"

The human paid no mind to the wizard's ranting. He kept running through the darkness of the woods, trying to escape the shadows that seemed to envelop him.

* * *

 **Note: Wow. My mind has been in a dark place lately.**

 **-DRAGONNINJAMAN: Thanks. I will.**

 **-CoolDudeAgent: I'm glad you think it's good.**

 **Next Chapter: Crow's Shadow**


	3. Chapter 3: Crow's Shadow

**Chapter 3: Crow's Shadow**

Everything was happening all at once. Finn had been running for what felt like hours now. He failed to notice exactly when, but he had dropped his sword on the ground somewhere along the way back to his treehouse. The melody in his head would not stop no matter what, and the strange symbol of the crow was still present on the human's palm, never fading away and causing a never-ending burning pain.

He never dared to look back, but Finn felt like something was chasing him. Like some kind of unbeatable monstrosity was mere inches away from grabbing him from behind and pulling him into the darkness. He only sense of comfort he had was the light of the stars and moon that were beginning to shine down upon the land, but the human felt nothing but genuine fear the entire way. Fear that he had never experienced before.

The treehouse was in view, and a wave of relief rained over Finn for the briefest of moments. If only Jake was with him right now, surely he would be able to provide some sense of safety, but the human was all alone. And just when it felt like whatever was chasing him would have succeeded in catching up, Finn reached for the front door of the house and shut it behind him as soon as he entered, bringing an end to the haunting melody and the burning pain in his palm for good.

Beemo and Neptr were both inside the main room and were both startled when the human appeared breathing ecstatically. "Finn, what's wrong?" asked the little game console.

Finn did not reply. He only turned around and made sure every single lock on the door was in place so nothing could get inside. If there even was anything that could, but he would not take any chances after the experience he just went through.

"Master, why are you so frightened?" Neptr asked. "I've never seen you act in such a way."

Again, no response came from the human. He walked right past the two curious robots and made his way towards the bathroom, all while staring at the palm of his right hand. While the melody and pain had gone away, the strange crow marking that had burned into his skin was still there. Everything happening was so weird, Finn wanted to believe this was somehow just another nightmare and he had not woken up at all yet.

He turned on the faucet and began to try scrubbing away the marking furiously. Beemo and Neptr both peeked their heads around the frames of the doorway to get a view of him as he used as many items as he could to wash his hands; soap, towels, brushes, nothing worked. Finn had to accept the fact that the marking was there to stay.

Angry, he threw his tattered hat and backpack on the ground. He supported himself on the frame of the sink and stared into the mirror, taking in the sight of his bruised face. It still hurt, but the pain was what worried Finn the least at this point. As he raised his hand to look at the marking once more, the two little robots quietly walked in and carried his hat and backpack away, leaving him on his own for the time being.

After taking a few deep breaths, Finn eventually began to calm down. _'This isn't real,'_ he thought to himself. _'That wizard dude must've been crazy. He had to be…But how did he know so much about my dream?_ _Everything about it made no sense and I can't make out anything from it. Unless…could Flame Princess be in some kind of trouble?'_

The thought bothered him greatly. He knew for sure it was not a premonition dream. At least, as far as he could remember and what he told Jake, the Cosmic Owl was never there. And yet he still could not shake the feeling that something was very wrong. That there was something else at work here that he could not comprehend.

Everything was too much to comprehend at once and he was beginning to get a headache. In fact, just about his entire body hurt by this point, though he did not notice until now. Sighing, he shook his head an opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and began to tend to some of his wounds. Most of them were cuts, so it only took several minutes to be done.

Aside from pain, Finn also noticed he was incredibly tired. The night was still young, but it felt as if he had been awake for days on end after all of the running he had done. He doubted he would able to sleep soundly after all that happened, but that's exactly what he set out to do as he made his way upstairs to his bedroom.

' _I'm not gonna let all of this ruin me. I'll call it a night and deal with it tomorrow. Or better yet, have this all end and never have to worry about it again.'_

His clothing remained on as he lied on the bed. Sleeping with the appropriate clothing or taking a shower was the least of Finn's concerns by now. He wasted no time whatsoever and closed his eyes, letting the embrace of sleep take him.

* * *

Finn opened his eyes in the middle of the night. It was not that a noise had woken him up or that he was not tired, but he still felt the sudden urge to wake up. His body was still sore, but most of the cuts had begun to heal from what he could see with the light of the moon entering through the window.

Slowly, he sat up on his bed. Everything felt…wrong for some reason. It still felt as if he needed more sleep before getting up, but something was keeping him from lying back down and closing them. It was like there were anchors keeping his eyelids in place even if he could still blink normally. There was also the sound of wind coming from outside, howling as if spirits were floating around the house.

' _Ugh, I can't sleep,'_ he thought as he rubbed his eyes. _'Great.'_

After all he had been through, Finn was not surprised. But the inconvenience of no sleep was too much for him to ignore. Sighing, he began to stand up from his bed and walked downstairs.

The house was completely dark and devoid of any light, except of the moonlight still managing to peek through certain windows and cracks. It was not much, but it was enough to guide the human through the wooden structure without tripping on anything. Beemo and Neptr were usually asleep in the main room, and Finn found it weird neither of them were around.

' _Maybe they're in the treasure room or something,'_ Finn wondered.

After taking only a few more steps, everything came to an abrupt stop. The wind from outside stopped howling, the walls of the house stopped creaking, and no matter how hard he tried to focus, Finn could not hear his own heartbeat. Instead, the air was filled with a sound that immediately filled him with dread. The very same melody that had been haunting him for the entire night.

"No…Please…"

Not much time passed before an eerie orange glow began to illuminate the room. The melody was coming from behind him, and he gasped when he saw _her_ again.

The phantom of Flame Princess was standing only several feet away, still as faceless as the first time he saw her. And again it sounded as if the melody was coming directly from her, but he wondered how it was even possible for her to make any kind of noise.

" _Finn…"_ the phantom called.

It was an exact copy of Flame Princess' voice. Finn wanted to deny everything that he had seen and heard in his nightmare, but it was all real. There was nothing fake or coincidental about any of this anymore. The human was being toyed with, and he did not appreciate it one bit.

"Who are you?" he asked through grinded teeth. "What do you want from me?! I don't know what's going on here or what you are, but you're not her. You're not Flame Princess!"

Silence was all Finn got in return. The strange phantom tilted its head and appeared to be staring at him with eyes that were not there. It made the human extremely uncomfortable. He had never been this afraid in his life. Not even the ocean had freaked him out as much. But he still mustered up the courage to not make any of that fear known to it.

" _What do I want?"_ she asked. _"To be free. And I will only be free if you come to me."_

"But where?" he asked.

" _Where skin burns but there is no fire."_

"That makes no sense! If you knew anything about Flame Princess, you'd know that's impossible."

She remained quiet for a short period before responding. _"My heart aches. A shadow consumes it, and I have no one to comfort me as death begins to reach for my soul. I'm scared, Finn…"_

Finn shuddered as she said his name. "But you have to give me something. Anything to go by. If it's help you're looking for, I'm willing to offer it."

The phantom turned its head and began to slowly raise its arm. Finn followed it and saw that it was pointing towards the door leading outside.

" _Underneath the crow's shadow. Where there is no fire, no life…no hope. Only ash and death."_

Finn raised his eyebrow. "I…I don't know of any places like that."

The phantom had no response. She simply continued to point her finger at the door. Finn already knew what she wanted him to, but the question was if he even wanted to.

He began to walk towards the door, squinting his eyes at the moonlight shining through the little window. Finn never remembered the moon being so bright, but then again, nothing made sense at the moment so he did not question it any more than he needed to. However, the brief moment of blinding light was gone when, for no apparent reason, the moonlight went away, possibly blocked by a cloud. As the human walked, he looked back to see the phantom never lowered her hand and remained pointing at the door, sending shivers down his spine as she also kept singing her mesmerizing melody.

Upon reaching the door, Finn turned the knob and opened it, but what he saw outside was not the Grasslands he had grown to know.

Everything was covered in ash and all of the trees were dead. The moon had indeed been blocked by clouds, but they were not rainclouds. They were a lot darker and the way they flowed in the harsh winds made them seem more like smoke. The entire ground was nothing but dirt and the collected piles of ash, with not a single piece of grass to speak of. Finn could hardly believe his eyes. The entire world seemed dead.

An orange glow cast his shadow in front of him, and he knew the faceless phantom of Flame Princess was next to him, though he dared no look at her directly.

" _If you are to find me, first you must find the land of ashes,"_ she said.

"The lands of ashes?" Finn asked, still avoiding eye contact. "Where exactly are they?"

Finn heard a 'whoosh' come from right beside him and looked to find out the phantom had turned its head away, as if something else had drawn its gaze. What that was, Finn could not tell.

" _He calls to me,"_ she said. _"Poor soul…He never asked for any of this. We shall meet one day, Finn the Human. It is up to you to face the horrors of this world and put an end to my suffering."_

The phantom turned her attention to the endless fields of ash and raised her hand. By her apparent command, the entire ground began to shake and cracks began to form right in front of Finn's feet, prompting the human to take a few steps back as the ground began to fall and what seemed like and endless dark abyss now lay in front of him.

Finn stood forward ever so carefully to get a good view into the newly formed hole. There was nothing in it except darkness. "What's the point of this?"

Flame Princess' phantom placed a hand on his shoulder and the human looked back at her now completely black skin. _"Your mind goes down the void."_

Before Finn could react, the phantom pushed him down the crevice, and its stone walls echoed with his screams.

* * *

The wooden floor was hard against the back of Finn's head as he fell off of his bed. He groaned as he slowly opened his eyes, a wave of relief washing over him as he saw the morning sun beginning to shine through the window and heard the birds chirping outside. Another horrible nightmare survived.

His legs were still mounted on the bed as his upper body lied on the floor. He pulled them down so he could properly get up, groaning during the whole process. There was a certain lightness to him; one that nearly made him fall over again before he regained his balance in time.

' _No matter how much I hate to admit it, I'm gonna have my hands full for a while."_

His short time of thinking was interrupted when he heard a noise coming from somewhere else in the house. Specifically, the sound of glass breaking inside the kitchen downstairs.

"Beemo? Neptr?" Finn called out, but neither answered.

More noises continued to come from the kitchen as Finn went down the stairs, and could tell it could not have been Beemo or Neptr. There was a strange humming accompanying the clattering of glass, one that did not sound like the two little robots at all. So he held off on examining the strange mark on his palm to go investigate the source of the commotion.

The light of the kitchen had been turned on as well, something that was clearly off when Finn came into the house. Or was it really on? He could not remember properly. After all, he was panicking when he came in. Either way, Finn tried to reach behind him to get his sword only to remember he did not have it anymore. So he improvised and took a pair of scissors that were lying on top of a small table, slowly moving towards the entrance to the kitchen with the sharp tool held up to the level of his chest.

There was a shadow coming through the doorway, too big to be Beemo or Neptr. It was now clear that someone had broken into Finn's house. "I'm not in the mood for this right now," he whispered to himself. "Fine. I'll just deal with you and get it over with."

The human exhaled as he leaned against the edge of the kitchen's entrance before running inside. Whoever had broken inside was currently raiding the fridge, but Finn was going too fast to notice who it was as both of them tumbled to the ground at the same time, causing the perpetrator to drop all of the items he had grabbed to the ground. When everything settled a bit, Finn raised the scissors and was mere seconds away from impaling them against the stranger's arm.

"WAIT!" the voice of the stranger shouted.

Finn immediately recognized the voice, and sighed in frustration as he threw the scissors towards the other side of the room. "Ice King, what are you doing in my house?!"

The ice wizard grunted and snapped his back in place again as he got up. "All of my penguins ate the food I had at my place and I couldn't get any breakfast. I was gonna ask for you and Jake to give me some but I didn't wanna bother you, so I invited myself in through the window. You don't mind, right? I mean, we're bros after all."

"We're not bros," Finn replied after noticing the open window. "Jake's not here. And normally I would gladly kick you out of here but I got more important things in mind."

"So can I take the food then?"

"No!"

Ice King grumbled in annoyance and shut the refrigerator door. "You're no fun, dude. By the way, what's with all the scratches?"

"It's none of your business." Finn pointed to the window. "Now get out!"

"Aw, come on. We can…" Ice King came to an abrupt stop and narrowed his eyes, staring straight at Finn's hand. "Really?! They let _you_ in?! What makes you so special since you're not even a wizard?! Ugh, I thought they were my bros too…"

"What are you saying?" Finn asked.

"The mark on your hand," Ice King replied while pointing at it. "It's the mark of the Order of the Crow in Wizard City. One of the coolest and most exclusive wizard clubs there are. I've been trying to get in for months and they always reject me, but they allowed you in?"

Finn mumbled and stared at the mark. "Order of the Crow?"

"Yeah. Lucky."

' _Hmm, Wizard City,'_ Finn thought as he stared at the mark. _'Is that where she wants me to go first?'_

"Well, now the mood is completely ruined," Ice King said. "I'm outta here. Peace out."

With a swift notion, Ice King levitated off the ground and flew out the window, accidentally hitting his elbow on the frame and shouting incoherencies that became muffled as he became distant. Now Finn was left on his own again. But the human was busy thinking of other things. Specifically, the mark on his hand.

Beemo walked into the kitchen, looking around for anything weird. "Finn, I heard noises. What's wrong?"

Finn stuttered a bit before responding. "It's nothing…Beemo. I've just got some things I need to take care of."

"Neptr and I worked all night to fix your hat and backpack. They're ready for travel."

"Thanks, little buddy."

The robot smiled and happily skipped out of the kitchen. One more time, Finn stared down at the crow mark on the palm of his hand. He now knew where he needed to go.

' _Wizard City is my target. But first, I have to see if I can speak to Weimar again. I won't like it; but if anyone has answers, it's him.'_

Finn lowered his hand and went ahead to get ready for the start of his journey.

' _And afterwards, I have to go to Fire Kingdom and make sure Flame Princess is okay.'_

* * *

 **Note: As always, I hope you enjoyed and make sure to leave a review if you did.**

 **-DRAGONNINJAMAN: Answers and more to come in later chapters.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: We shall have a clearer picture soon enough, I suppose.**

 **Next Chapter: Blazing Sun**


	4. Chapter 4: Blazing Sun

**Chapter 4: Blazing Sun**

"Okay. Time to get some real answers."

At least that's what Finn hoped would happen as he closed the door to his treehouse, starting his journey back to the home of the wizard, Weimar. The sun was not completely over the horizon yet, giving a great sense of comfort as it shined down on the land without causing any discomfort with its heat. The perfect weather when going on any journey, Finn would always call it. And Jake would agree when he was not too lazy to actually go out so early.

Finn's morning routine had gone by faster than normal. He only ate a simple bowl of cereal rather than preparing an actual meal, but he packed plenty of extra snacks in his newly fixed backpack just in case he got hungry later on. Showering only lasted two minutes as Finn applied the basic essentials, while also making sure not to do too much harm to all the healing cuts around his skin. But no matter how hard he tried to scrub away the mysterious crow marking on the palm of his hand, it was there to stay.

It was only natural, but the marking made the human a bit uneasy whenever he looked at it. Rather than having an actual eye drawn on the side of the crow's head, there was only an empty space that was filled with his pale skin instead. The way that the eyelids were drawn made it seem as if the animal was staring at Finn with hint of anger. But the human only needed to look at its open beak and he could hear the bird's 'squawk' with clarity. Its round frame made it seem as if someone took a badge and placed the burning metal on his skin. In fact, judging by the pain he felt initially, maybe that is what came to pass somehow.

A shiver went down his spine. Luckily, having to stare at the new tattoo would prove no problem when he placed a white bandage around his right hand before departing. People would not question it as well since they would just assume it to be another battle wound that Finn had acquired in his travels.

Of course, Finn could not have begun his journey before calling his dear brother first. As expected, the yellow god was hesitant when he was told that they would be traveling back to the home of Weimar, but he came around quickly when Finn told him it was an emergency. He said Lady would not be happy, but Jake always came around for his little human brother. It always brought a smile to Finn's face.

The two would be meeting on the way, which gave Finn plenty of time to get lost in his own thoughts. _'I only wish I had the Finn Sword with me. I can't believe I actually dropped it. Again. I guess this one will have to make due for now.'_

Finn brought with him an old rusted sword he found among all of the junk in his treasury. The blade itself was flimsy and was cracked in several places, but it still remained sturdy enough for a few good hits. Besides, Finn was not actually expecting to do any fighting during the trip. But if it came to it, it was good to have something rather than nothing.

After walking some distance away from his home and standing in the middle of the grassy plains, he could see Jake coming at him from a distance in his giant form. A trip that would have taken anyone else a few minutes and good amount of steps, the magic dog made it in only a few seconds with less than twenty steps. He shrunk when he stood right in front of the human and the two brothers shared a quick fist bump.

"I'm glad you could make it," Finn said.

"Well, it wasn't easy convincing Lady to let me leave before helping out with chores," Jake replied grumpily. "Luckily, TV would cover for me. Even if I had to pay him twenty bucks for it…"

"Sorry for your loss. But it'll be worth the trouble."

Jake stretched out to horse form and Finn sat on top of him as he began to ride. "Why are we even going to see this wizard dude again anyway?" Jake asked. "All of your problems in life can be solved if you don't let in to peer pressure."

"It's more than that, Jake. My nightmare had more meaning than I once thought. I'm sure of it. But I can't make any sense of it unless-"

Finn was interrupted when Jake came to a sudden halt and he was knocked off his back. It took a few seconds for Finn to recover from the fall, but when he did, he was greeted by a normal sized Jake with an angry look on his face.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jake shouted as he raised his arms in the air. "You said that this was an emergency. Now you're telling me that we're going on this trip based on that stupid nightmare you had? What the flop?!"

"But Jake-"

"No 'buts'! I'm sick and tired of 'buts'! It was a dream, Finn. Nothing more."

Finn stood up, not bothering to wipe away the dust he gathered from the fall. "No, Jake. This means a lot more than you could understand. I can't put it into words but I have to go through with this. I have to."

"But why? What was this dream even about anyway?"

The next few minutes were spent with Finn detailing his dreams to Jake. Both of them. How he saw Flame Princess' phantom, how he got his mark on his hand, and everything he was told. Jake was still a bit peeved by the end, but he was calmer than he was before. Finn could tell the dog was having difficulty taking all of the information in. But then again, who would be able to process all of clearly when the human himself could not?

Jake rubbed one of his jowls. "So 'Flame Princess' said she was in some sort of danger and that you needed to find her. But the place described to you was nowhere near close to Fire Kingdom and the only lead you have to her whereabouts is a weird cult in Wizard City, where none wizards are banned, mind you."

"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it."

"Dude, this story makes as much sense as a mosquito sucking on a melon. Wait… do they?"

"I know how this all sounds, Jake. I really do. But I can't just sit back while I know that someone is in danger and is calling to me for help. Helping peeps is what I do for a living."

"We don't even know if we're dealing with actual 'peeps'."

"You can go back home to Lady if you want, Jake. I won't force you into this if you don't want to do it. But I'm gonna keep going."

As Finn began to walk off on his own, he felt Jake's hand on top of his shoulder, and a sigh coming from the yellow canine. "You know I'm not gonna leave you by yourself. You'd get killed otherwise. Deny it or not, you've always been reckless."

Finn did not deny it, but instead smiled. "So you'll help me then?"

"Of course. I'll have to pay TV extra when I get back, but I'm not gonna leave my bro on his own. I never have and I won't start now."

Finn placed his own hand on top of Jake's. "Thanks, man."

Jake smiled and morphed back into his horse form. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go find this wizard."

Finn nodded and got on top of Jake once more. The dog mimicked a horse's neigh and lifted his front legs into the air before he began galloping across the Grasslands.

* * *

They reached the woods before long. Jake made sure that he did not accidentally smash into any trees as he navigated back to where Weimar's house was. The sound of bongos was gone, so the dog had to rely on memory to try and find the place; which unfortunately was not one of his strong suits. Finn, however, remembered the way well enough and pointed Jake in the right direction. But when they actually arrived to their destination, what they found was far from what they had hoped.

Weimar's shack was gone. The place was the same, but the home of the old wizard was nowhere to be found, as if it was never there to begin with. The two adventurers were left confused. They had only been here the day before.

"What? Where is it?" Jake asked as he returned to his normal size.

"It disappeared?" Finn wondered. "Weimar! WEIMAR!"

No matter how loud Finn called, the wizard was nowhere to be seen. He was truly gone.

Jake let out a puff from his mouth as he dropped sitting to the ground. "Well, this was all for nothing."

"But it doesn't make sense. He was here yesterday."

"He was a wizard, Finn. You can never trust a wizard with their cheap tricks."

Finn looked around for any sort of trace. "There has to be something here that could help us. Anything at all."

"I don't see or smell anything. And trust me, I could smell something shady from a mile away."

"Oh, really?'

Jake yelped and stood up quickly when the strange voice came from behind him. Finn pulled out his rusty sword, but the person now standing before them was not faced by the near useless weapon that the human held.

"Huntress Wizard?" Finn asked.

It was indeed her. She stood underneath the shade of the trees, staring at the two adventurers with both of her arms crossed. "What are you two doing here?"

"Well, what are _you_ doing here?" Jake asked.

"I'm Huntress Wizard. Take a wild guess."

"What are you doing sneaking up on us like that?" Finn asked.

"I wasn't sneaking. You two are just terrible at knowing when someone is inches from your face. But really I'm here because I saw you leave your house earlier and wanted to give you this."

Huntress unwrapped her hands and reached behind the tree she was standing next to, revealing the Finn Sword when she brought her hand back. Finn's expression gleamed at the sight and he lowered the rusted sword.

"You found it!" he said.

Huntress tossed him the sword from afar, and he dropped the rusted one to grab it in his hands. It seemed undamaged, except for the noticeable crack in its blue gem in the center of the hilt. "Thanks," he said.

"Don't mention it. Now, back to my own question, why are you two here?"

Finn sheathed the Finn Sword. "We're looking for a wizard who lives around here."

Huntress raised an eyebrow. "I've been hunting in these woods for a while. There are no wizards here."

"But we saw one just yesterday," Jake said. "He had the shack where he lived placed here and everything."

"I think we're wasting our time, Jake," Finn said. "He's clearly gone and it'll be forever if we try to find him again."

Finn remembered Weimar had said he traveled all across Ooo and beyond. He could have been anywhere by this point. But it did not matter so much. At least Finn had a lead in Wizard City. At least he hoped to find one.

"Bummer," Huntress said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have some more hunting to do."

"Huntress, wait!" Finn shouted before she ran off.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you know the flame shield spell?"

She narrowed her eyes in thought. "I do, though I barely ever use it. Why?"

* * *

The gates leading to the Fire Kingdom creaked as they opened for the two adventurers. Even with flame shield, Finn always felt the warm breeze against his skin whenever he stepped inside the scorching lands. But it was a good kind of warmth that made him smile every time he was here. Especially knowing Flame Princess was near.

As rough as the flame people could be, they were always at a lively mood when inside their own kingdom. Everyone smiled as they conversed with one another, workers went about their businesses as usual, and all of the flame guards kept the place safe from any and all threats to the general public. Finn found it a nice place, except for the fact that he would die instantly without his shield.

"Okay, let's go meet our lovely lady," Jake said.

"Quiet, Jake," Finn said. "We're here on business, remember?"

"Business? All we're doing is paying a visit. If we were really in business we would be on our way to Wizard City by now."

"We're here to make sure Flame Princess isn't in any kind of trouble. Once we manage that, then we can go to Wizard City."

Jake smirked. "Is somebody nervous?"

Finn opened his mouth to reply, but only a grunt came out when he accidentally ran into a fire person for not looking forward. Both men staggered but quickly regained their balance, avoiding too much awkwardness.

"Sorry, sir," Finn said.

The elemental just shrugged it off. "It's all right. I wasn't really looking at where I was going."

Finn noticed that the elemental was one of the more 'normal' looking ones he had seen. Sort of like Flame Princess. Orange long hair tied in a ponytail; slightly orange skin; normal looking clothing; and bright yellow eyes. He was slightly taller than Finn, but that might have just been because of his slim build.

"I was also in kind of a hurry," the elemental said.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"Just some personal matters. But I have someone waiting for me and I don't wanna keep them like that for too long." He closely studied the dog and the human for a brief moment. "Hey… aren't you Finn and Jake? The adventurers?"

Finn was taken back. "You know of us?"

"Only several stories. I've been told a bit about you two."

"By who?" Jake asked.

Before the elemental could respond, he quickly checked his watch and widened his eyes. "Oh man. Listen, I really need to go. It was nice meeting you, and sorry for smashing into you."

He was already gone before Finn and Jake could ask any more questions.

"Seemed like a nice guy," Jake said.

"I guess," Finn replied. "Come on. We can't afford more delays."

Jake nodded and followed the human as they made their way towards the palace. The guards at the gate were not much of a pain and let the two inside once they stated their intentions. Nothing much changed about the pace during Finn's visits, except for the fact that Flame King was no longer locked in his lamp. But he thought the change was for the better, even if he was still a bit indifferent to letting the previous ruler roam free without any kind of supervision. Except for Bun Bun, but could she really be able to keep him at bay?

The throne that was the standing stone for the entire palace was empty, and its fiery ruler was nowhere to be seen. "She will be back momentarily to greet you both," said a flame guard that was sent to tell her of their arrival. "But no funny stuff. Got it?"

They both nodded in understanding. Finn and Flame Princess had hung out several times after Flame King was set free, and yet it was never any less awkward for him. he enjoyed being around her, of course, but every fiber of his being kept repeating over and over that he would somehow mess everything up between them again. Jake knew about this, not because Finn had told him but because he knew the human way too well, and placed a hand on his shoulder as they waited.

It felt like an eternity, but eventually Flame Princess' shoes echoed as she entered the room. Finn was grateful that he always had flame shield whenever they encountered each other, because otherwise his blush would always be noticed from a mile away.

He could swear she grew more beautiful every time they met, but that might have just been him. Her crimson dress perfectly matched her eyes and really made her stand out among the charcoal walls of the palace. Her candle-like hair was as bright as ever, and one of its strands hung over her perfect smile, but she brushed it away behind her ear. There was something so great about seeing her in person and with an actual face after recent events.

Finn was so lost that he failed to notice she had already walked right in front of him and Jake.

"Hey guys," she greeted. "What brings you here today?"

Jake nudged Finn in the arm with his elbow. "Finn here wanted to come by and see how you were fairing. Isn't that correct, Finn?"

Everything about Jake's smile and his use of words he had never used before made him even more uneasy. "Uh, I um… yeah, just wondering if… everything was going well around here." _'She seems okay at least. But I gotta make sure there's no threat here.'_

"Well of course I am," she replied. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"It never hurts to be safe, you know?" Finn said.

She lightly chuckled. "You don't have to make excuses to come and visit, Finn."

"They're not excuses! This is legit a matter of security."

"Well, I'm happy to tell you that everything has been going just fine around here. Why do you ask?"

"Finn saw you in his- OOF!"

Finn elbowed Jake in his gut before he could finish the sentence. Flame Princess was confused by his actions. "Why'd you do that?" she asked.

"Oh, the elbow thing? Just a game Jake and I play from time to time. No biggie."

"Huh. Okay then. Well, since you're here and I'm not very busy today, you wanna take a walk with me?"

"Sure, sounds great. I'm not that busy today either."

As Jake continued to rub the area where Finn had elbowed him, the three of them walked further into the palace. The human tried to keep himself busy by looking at the numerous paintings hanging from the wall to avoid any sort of direct contact with Flame Princess. At least, until she was the one to speak first.

"What have you been doing, Finn?" she asked as they walked.

"Oh, you know… this and that. Clearing a cave of monsters here, dealing with a dispute there, all manner of stuff keeping me busy every so often."

"Sounds exciting. For me it's only dealing with the constant paperwork and aristocrats that pile up in my office every day."

"Do you enjoy it?"

"It helps keep this kingdom in order. That's the only motivation I need to keep doing it."

Finn simply nodded his head as they walked. There was a short moment of silence between the two, neither of them knowing what to say to the other. Luckily, Jake was there to push Finn along as he nudged his arm from behind.

"So princess," Finn began, "I have something I wanted to talk to you about."

She turned to face him. "I actually have something to talk to you about too, Finn. But you can go first."

"This might sound weird but… have you ever heard of the phrase, _a place where skin burns but there is no fire_?"

The question was indeed weird. Flame Princess took some time to think on it, and by the time she responded, they were outside in the palace's open backyard, where multiple citizens walked around admiring the numerous lava flows on the rocks and bundles of fireproof flowers grown specifically in the Fire Kingdom.

"I can't say that I ever have," Flame Princess said. "And the phrase itself doesn't really make much sense to begin with."

"Like I said, it would sound weird. But if you don't know anything, that's fine as well."

"Why are you asking me this?"

Finn rubbed the back of his head. "It's nothing really. Probably just random rambling. But wasn't there something you wanted to tell me too?"

She exhaled a bit as she crossed her fingers. Finn could only wait and dread whatever she had in her mind.

"Finn, I-"

"Oh, there you are."

Finn, Jake, and Flame Princess all turned around to find the source the voice. To the two adventurer's surprise, it was the same fire elemental that had bumped into Finn when they arrived in the Fire Kingdom. And at the sight of him, Flame Princess' expression lightened up.

"You're back," she said.

She walked towards the elemental and pulled him into a hug, making Finn and Jake even more curious as to who this man was. When he noticed the two, he separated from the hug, but his hands remained on the princess' shoulder.

"You?" he asked.

"You?" Finn asked back.

"Yo, FP. You know this guy?" Jake asked.

Flame Princess turned her attention back to Finn, any happiness that was present in her face now gone and replaced with nervousness.

"Finn, Jake… this is Blayze," she said. "He's my suitor."

* * *

 **Note: Wipe that look off your face. You knew I would be doing this eventually.**

 **-Forgotsurname: It is a shame. But at least there are still those who can enjoy it.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: It's good to see you've prepared theories for this story as well. This'll be fun.**

 **-DRAGONNINJAMAN: Thanks. That means a lot.**

 **Next Chapter: Truth Among Lies**


	5. Chapter 5: Truth Among Lies

**Chapter 5: Truth Among Lies**

Jake was trying his best not to start laughing out loud. It was obvious by the look on his face that he found the current situation hilarious. Finn, however, failed to find anything funny no matter how hard he looked into it. Aside from his eyes widening a small amount, the human's expression remained mostly unchanged after Flame Princess had given him the news about her new suitor. But inside, he was screaming in utter rage. _'A suitor?! Blayze?! Who does this guy even think he is?! How is he any better than me?!'_

These were all questions he wanted to ask right then and there, but he knew it would only make him seem selfish. Or maybe he was selfish but he just did not want to believe it. He cared about Flame princess, and wanted her to be happy, but seeing her with someone else made him absolutely angry, frustrated, and was filled with absolute hate for Blayze; an elemental that he barely even knew for more than an hour.

Flame princess herself was waiting for any kind of response from Finn, but none ever came from either him or the yellow dog. They both stood silently, but both of them were no doubt going through different mindsets. She cleared her throat, and Finn finally blinked after what felt like a long while.

"Finn?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"A suitor, huh?" the human said. "That's… so great. How did… you two meet, exactly?"

"Well… like any princess meets a suitor, I guess," she replied. "He was the best choice among a very long list."

"Heh, I wouldn't say I was the best," Blayze added. "But Flame Princess chose me in the end and I never argued. I was honestly shocked at first."

' _Oh, a modest one are we?!'_ Finn shouted in his mind. _'I bet you get some sort of sick kick out of this!'_

"You're just being modest, Blayze," Flame Princess said, as if reading the human's mind. "But yeah. It was decided that it was high time I found someone to be with and who could maybe one day… rule by my side."

She pulled Blayze closer to her by his arm at the end of her sentence. Finn's cheeks would have been red with rage if it was not for the flame shield, but he managed to keep his actual feelings from appearing on his facial expressions and voice. The only other time he had felt like this was during the entire Ricardio incident with Princess Bubblegum, but even back then it was nothing compared to now.

' _Maybe that's what this is,'_ he wondered. _'Maybe this guy is just trying to manipulate the princess in some way.'_

"I, for one, think this is great," Jake said, finally deciding to speak. "Isn't that right, Finn?"

"Yeah," Finn forced out. "I think it's very great as well."

It was a lie, of course. But even if he was breaking the law of the Fire Kingdom, it was a lot better than actually speaking his mind in front of everyone. Especially Flame princess, since his comment seemed to make her brighten up even more.

"Really?" she asked. "It's such a relief to hear that from you."

"I mean, If you're happy, I'm happy," Finn said, which was sort of the truth if not really the case at the moment.

Blayze gently released himself from Flame Princess' grip and raised his hand towards Finn. "You know, if everything Phoebe has told about you is true, I think the two of us can be good friends."

' _He calls her by her name?! Oh, I can assure you we will be very good friends, Blayze. I like to keep my enemies close.'_

Finn eventually raised his own hand to shake Blayze's, and the elemental grunted a bit. "Whoa, that's a strong grip you have there."

"Yeah," Finn replied, tightening it even more. "It is."

Blayze chuckled nervously as the handshake ended and rubbed his sore hand. Flame Princess placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Blayze, would you be so kind as to go and fetch Cinnamon Bun for me?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure," he replied while continuing to rub his hand.

He walked off and was gone before long, leaving Finn, Jake, and Flame Princess alone. There were still several other elementals around, but all of them were minding their own business rather than pay attention to the group.

Before either Finn or Jake could make a comment, both were stopped when for some reason Flame Princess' expression suddenly changed, and she stared at the human with a look of disdain.

"Flame Princess?" Finn asked nervously.

"What is your problem?!" she asked angrily, causing both Finn and Jake to slightly jump.

"Wha… My problem?" Finn asked.

"Yes! Not only are you acting childish but you also dared to lie to my very face. Again!"

Finn was taken back. "How am I acting childish?!"

"Your obvious jealousy towards Blayze. Other might not notice it, but I do. I thought you would really be happy for me, Finn. I thought you really had changed."

"But… but I am happy for you. And I have changed. It's just… how do you know this guy is actually trustworthy?"

"Uh, guys…" Jake tried to interrupt but to no avail.

"Blayze and I have been going out for months, Finn. I know him and he's a good guy."

"But how can you be so sure?"

"Finn, this is my decision. All of this right here is precisely the reason why I decided to move on. And honestly, you should move on too. Besides… you know fully well it's impossible for us to be together."

"I did move on," he said, but he knew perfectly well it was just lies after lies. "And I'm well aware of that. I just want to be sure that Blayze is actually legit and won't try anything funny."

Flame princess crossed her arms. "Why can't you just accept my life choices? I'm sorry, but… If you can't learn to let go… then don't bother coming back."

Finn lightly gasped. No one else dared say anything, not even Jake. It went on like that for the longest time before eventually Cinnamon Bun appeared flying in with Jake Two, breaking the silence as he landed and saluted the princess.

"Princess, you called for me?" he asked.

"Yes, CB," she replied. "Would you kindly escort Finn and Jake out? Their visit here is over."

She kept her gaze away from Finn during the entire process, not even taking a split second glare at him. Any anger he had was gone, now replaced with sadness and regret as he got on Jake Two behind CB, with Jake sitting behind him as well.

As the fire hound began to fly off, Flame Princess still averted her eyes and refused to give one last look.

* * *

It was one of the hardest things Flame Princess had ever done during her time ruling, but it was for the better, even if she made Finn feel bad. She either had to make him leave or arrest him for breaking the law of total honesty. With anyone else, she would have picked the second option, but not with Finn. She would never want to see him locked away in a cell. For most of her life, she knew what the experience was like.

She sighed as Jake Two finally flew out of sight. Finn was acting immature, of course, but she could not shake the feeling that she had somehow made a mistake as well. She and Blayze had been together for months now, and she only decided to tell the human about it when he came to her rather than the other way around. Was she angry at Finn for the way he was acting? No, only disappointed. And did she really mean everything she told him? She did not think so, yet she said it anyway. Maybe it was all in the heat of the moment.

No one around the courtyard had fully noticed the display between them, but she could tell by the looks on their faces that they knew something was off. Maybe it was because any semblance of happiness she had only minutes prior was gone. Whatever the case was, she paid none of them any mind and walked back into the palace.

These halls of coal had been Flame Princess' home for as long as she could remember. She walked through them every single day, and they had finally grown rather dull. Although, it did not mean she was starting to hate ruling the kingdom. This was her home, and the citizen's as well. She could not possibly abandon them. And that was something else that she wished Finn would understand. She could not deny she still deeply cared about him, but he is not king material. And so much was keeping them apart.

She made it to the throne room, not noticing how long the trip had been as she got lost in thought. Her flame guards straightened up when she entered, holding their spears in hand. It was a good sight to know she was well guarded, but sometimes she wondered if so much protection was necessary when she could fight well enough.

As she stopped before her throne, she shook off all other thoughts clouding her mind. _'He can do better than me. I know he can. I mean, he's Finn the Human. Almost every girl in Ooo wants to be with him.'_

After silently staring at her throne for a few moments, Flame Princess looked around the rest of room to see if she could find Blayze. He never came back after she had sent him to fetch Cinnamon Bun. The only people in the room were the two guards posted at the palace's main entrance, the sides of the throne, and the doorway leading further inside. She walked to the nearest guard, one that was guarding the throne.

"Have you seen my suitor pass through here?" she asked.

The guard straightened his posture. "He came through here to fetch the cinnamon knight, my lady. After that I believe I heard him say something about the training grounds."

Flame Princess hated when people acted with so much courtesy around her. She always felt like she should be treated as equally as any other person. But she knew perfectly well that her guards and citizens would continue to act like that no matter what she said. Sometimes she wondered if it was because they had so much respect for her or if they were afraid. She hoped it was the first.

Once she thanked the guard for the information, he saluted and resumed his post after she had walked off. And once again, no matter how hard she tried to forget, she could get Finn out of her mind. It was not the first time he had come to visit her, so why was she feeling like this all of a sudden? She may have kicked him from the kingdom, but it was not forever. Maybe it was because, in her mind, she may have been too harsh on him.

' _No,'_ she told herself. _'Some time to adjust is exactly what both of us need. I'm with Blayze now. I need to remember that. And so does Finn.'_

However, another thought came back to her about Finn. And that was the question he had asked her when they began their walk together. The words, _"Find me where skin burns but there is no fire",_ made her scratch her head. Why would Finn ask her such a thing? No matter from what perspective she looked at it, the sentence made no sense. At least not to her. Her entire life revolved around the fact that nothing could burn without fire. Maybe that was not true, but it was true to the fire people, and therefore true to her.

' _He wouldn't have come here if it wasn't of some importance,'_ she thought. _'Then again, he did brush it off like it was nothing after I gave him my answer. Maybe it really was nothing…'_

Once again, Flame Princess had been so lost in thought that she did not notice she had reached her destination. The Fire Kingdom's training grounds for the fire soldiers.

It was a walled off courtyard built to the side of the palace where the soldiers could train with all manner of weaponry. Most of them preferred the spears, and most of them were practicing with each other in attacking and parrying with the long weapons. Others had swords, and they were also very good with those as well as the slashed and dashed with a shield also in hand. But still, she did not see Blayze anywhere.

When she walked further into the courtyard, she found him where she expected to; the archery section. If there was anything Flame Princess had learned about Blayze during their time dating, it was that there was no better marksman in the entire Fire Kingdom.

He himself was not shooting, but was instead giving instructions to the four flame soldiers practicing with the bows. "And also be mindful of the wind's direction," he said. "If you think just aiming straight at the target during a large gust of wind is still gonna land a hit, you are very wrong. Knowing that, see if you can at least hit the area around the center."

The four soldiers nodded and pulled on the strings. All of them fired at once, and all of them at least managed to make the arrow stick to the target. He rubbed his chin, analyzing the results. "Hmm, not bad. Though there is still plenty of room for improvement."

"Why even bother with this archery training?" one of the soldiers asked. "We can just shoot fire from our own hands."

Blayze rubbed his fingers together and started pacing from side to side. "Say that one day the Fire Kingdom suffers another event where the fire starts to fade and we can't use our abilities properly. And on that day, the enemy can use that advantage to attack us from away. You'll be very glad you have knowledge on using a bow then."

Flame Princess smiled as she watched the soldiers try to come up with another excuse. She remembered she had once asked the same question when they went on their first date together; and he had given her the same response. It felt like yesterday.

The two were having a walk through these very training grounds, just taking a moment to walk and chat after dining together. When he had told her about his abilities as an archer, Flame Princess had a very hard time believing them. Until he actually showed her by grabbing a bow and continuously shooting the targets, each hitting its mark dead center no matter what position he used to aim or hold the bow. It was some of the most expert shooting she had ever seen, and the skill greatly complemented his lack of overall strength, despite also having a bit of swordsmanship training. But Finn was still the best one on that front to Flame Princess' knowledge.

The soldiers continued to train with their bows as Blayze took notice of he watching him from a distance. He excused himself and walked towards the fiery ruler, forcing her to look slightly up at the tall elemental. While Finn was also a bit taller than her, Blayze surpassed her by an entire foot. But that was not counting the length of her hair stretching upwards.

"My lady, nice to see you here," he greeted.

Flame Princess blushed. "Blayze, you don't have to call me 'lady'."

"Sorry. Still getting used to it… Phoebe. So what brings you to the training grounds?"

"Looking for you, actually. Finn and Jake departed a short time ago."

"Ah, yes. I figured that was them flying off on Jake Two. I was afraid he was gonna punch me."

Flame Princess raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I'm fully aware that Finn doesn't really take a liking to me. And I don't honestly blame him. I mean, anyone would act the same if they found out someone as beautiful as you found another person to be with."

Flame Princess blushed even more. "Finn… is a good guy. He just needs some time to accept our relationship. And by the time he does, I guarantee that the two of you can really become good friends. I really want you to."

"I'll try my best to get on his good side, then."

"Thanks. I know he'll come around when he sees how much you two have in common."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, your love of exploring, for one. And since Finn is good with a sword and you're good with a bow, I'd say you complement each other well."

Blayze slightly chuckled. "You really have high hopes for this, don't you?"

"It's not high hopes. I know it's possible. Finn and I go a long way. And yes, he has made several mistakes in the past, but he means well for everyone. Including us here in Fire Kingdom."

"Let's just hope he sees it that way eventually. In the meantime…" Blayze leaned in to kiss Flame Princess on her forehead, "I stall you from your duties any longer. I have some work to do here as well, as you can see. I may only be your suitor as of now, but that doesn't mean I can't start getting to know the ins and outs of the palace and its workers."

Flame Princess smiled warmly at him as he turned back towards the practicing archers. She remained standing still for a while longer. Her fingers were entwined with one another, and she looked down at her hands as the clanking of metal and wood continued all around her.

' _Finn… whatever you've gotten involved in this time, please stay safe.'_

* * *

 **-Fiery Crusader: If only.**

 **-DRAGONNINJAMAN: Glad you liked it.**

 **-WaffleTron9000: Wow. That great? Thanks.**

 **Next Chapter: City of Secrets**


	6. Chapter 6: City of Secrets

**Chapter 6: City of Secrets**

Cinnamon Bun dropped Finn and Jake off in front of their house. Jake thanked the pastry for the ride after jumping down from Jake Two, but Finn did not bother to stay for long and walked inside the house as soon as he got off.

Jake was worried for the human, and bid farewell to Cinnamon Bun once more before he departed. The door had been left wide open, and Jake simply pushed it gently as he walked inside, finding Finn sitting on the living room couch with his legs pressed against his chest while his arms remained wrapped around them. His hat had been thrown to the ground along with his backpack and sword, and the human had the face of malcontent.

Without saying a word, Jake moved to sit down right next to the human, who made no moves to gain Jake's attention when he sat down. The canine interlocked his fingers together, nervous to say anything that might come off as offensive to Finn. One moment he would open his mouth to speak, and the other he would close it again.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of a wall clock nearby, counting the uncomfortable seconds as they passed by. It was hard to tell what was going through Finn's mind, but Jake could only imagine he was going through a very tough time at the moment. His eyes were always fixed forward, looking at nothing in particular, and he continuously tapped his fingers against the side of his leg softly. The silence was only broken when Beemo walked into the room.

"Finn, Jake, how did it go?" the little game console asked.

"Fantastic," Finn replied in a monotone.

"Aw, come on, man," Jake said. "Cheer up. It's not like it's the end of the world."

"Yes it is," Finn replied.

"No, it's not. So what if Flame Princess has a suitor that isn't you? I mean, it could be worse…"

"You don't get it, dude!" Finn snapped. "The love of my life is going out with some other guy and will probably end up getting married as well!"

"But don't you want her to be happy? It was her decision, after all."

Finn's expression calmed a bit and he sighed. "I am; it's just…I thought that one day, when the two of us became really good friends again like before, I would be able to muster the courage to…I don't know. Tell her how I still feel and somehow get back together with her."

"Don't you remember what she said? The two of you are way too different to be in a relationship together. And honestly, I kinda agree. Trust me, this'll all blow over soon and you'll be able to start an actual working relationship with a girl that won't make your clothing burst into flames every time you hug her. Right, Beemo?"

"R-right," he nervously replied.

"It's like Dad always used to say," Jake continued. " _There are plenty of frogs in the swamp._ One day, you will find your own frog to kiss."

"That's gross," Finn replied. "But…Flame Princess was the only girl I ever truly cared about after everything that went down with PB. I know I can't be with her, and yet I still want to."

"And I want to rule a kingdom where there is always an endless supply of Everything Burritos, but even dreams as great as that can't come true."

"Finn said no other word for a moment until a sigh escaped his mouth. "I guess you're right. Heh, of course you are. Here I am moping when we have other important junk to deal with."

"Other junk?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, man." Finn stood from the sofa. "Wizard City."

The dog raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay with going right now?"

"Trust me. Doing some actual work is exactly what I need. I'm not gonna lie down on the ground and mope over something that shouldn't be moped about. I refuse to be like that anymore. I did it with PB once but I won't do it now. If Flame Princess wants to be with a suitor, then that's her choice. I won't interfere…Unless Blayze does something he'll regret."

Jake smiled. "Alright! But how are we gonna get into Wizard City? If I recall correctly, it's 'Wizards only, fools'."

"We'll just use our wizard disguises. Where did we put those?"

"Oh, they're…Um…" Jake trailed off for a moment and rubbed the back of his head. "They're somewhere."

Finn sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let's start looking, then. It's not like this house is enormous and full of junk, anyway."

Jake chuckled nervously and stretched out to begin looking. Finn grabbed his hat and backpack from the floor and turned to Beemo. "Beemo, you and Neptr look around as well."

Beemo saluted and ran off. It took the better part of the entire day, but Finn they were able to find both outfits in the treasure room, buried under a hill of gold coins. The human put his disguise on; a dark blue vest with lighter blue gloves, along with a gold necklace around his neck. He also put on a pair of black boots and a hat that resembled his own, but without the tiny ears. As a final touch, he painted an eye on the center of his forehead.

Jake's disguise was a simple red tunic with a pair of black boots and a matching hat with several violet outlines. He used his shape-shifting powers to form a long mustache along his upper lip and over his jowls. When both were ready, they began to set out for Wizard City.

Finn had to unfortunately leave his backpack and sword behind, seeing as how it would probably cause suspicion in a place where everyone only used magic. To make matters more tedious, they had to walk all the way normally since Jake's outfit would be ruined if he stretched to his large form.

As they walked, Finn still could not keep his mind off the events that took place in Fire Kingdom. He had to say something to Jake, but the truth was that he was definitely not okay. Could he be completely wrong? Had he really stooped so low that he was letting jealousy get the best of him? What would Billy think? Or Rattleballs? Both mentors who told him that a hero's duty was to put everyone else before him. Was he being selfish by thinking of his own needs and wishing for Flame Princess to choose him instead?

So many questions raced through his mind. He barely even knew Blayze and he already decided he hated the fire elemental. Not because he was probably evil; not because he was a complete stranger; but because Finn felt resentment for him for no particular reason other than him being Flame Princess' suitor. And because of it, the human had made her angry with him again; something that he swore he never wanted to do again.

' _What's wrong with me?'_ he wondered. _'Am I really so selfish that I can't bring myself to be happy for her unless she's happy with me? How can a true hero have such a mindset?'_ His thoughts ran silent for a while. _'She doesn't deserve me. Not unless I learn to accept her choices. No, even if I do, I have to also accept that the two of us will never be together again. We'll remain friends. Heh, easier said than done.'_

* * *

The sun was already setting, and the sky was orange by the time they reached the secret entrance to Wizard City.

Jake said the secret phrase to enter, "Wizards rule," and the large illusion of a canyon wall disappeared. They were fortunate enough to not run into any members of the wizard police on their way in. Even with their disguises, it was best to avoid as much interaction as possible. But that would not last long.

Wizard City was enormous, and almost every building had some sort of symbol engraved into the wall. It would take hours, if not days to find the correct building they were looking for. For that to be possible with little effort, they would have to speak to the one in charge of the city.

The Grand Master Wizard.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jake asked as they walked towards the city's palace.

"It's gonna take forever to find what we're looking for if we don't," Finn replied.

"But still, if they find out we're not actually wizard, we're boned."

"It won't come to that, dude. Trust me, just stay calm and act natural."

As they walked, two members of the wizard police were both standing at the side of the road, talking to each other. Finn and Jake walked past them, making doubly sure they did not do anything to draw unnecessary atten-

"BOY, IT SURE IS GREAT BEING A REAL, GENUINE WIZARD!" Jake said, too loud for comfort. "ISN'T THAT RIGHT, FRALAMBODIOUS?!"

Finn was very close to slapping Jake but refrained from doing so. The two guards on the side of the streets were now looking at them. "It sure is…Jakaar," Finn replied as casually as possible. "Although, that's pretty obvious. Why would you shout it?"

"I JUST THINK IT'S GREAT HOW WE WIZARDS GET TO LIVE A LIFE OF MAGIC AND SORCERY AWAY FROM THE PETTY NON-MAGIC USERS OF THE OUTSIDE."

"Hey, you!" a mysterious male voice shouted from behind. Finn and Jake both squinted their eyes shut and reopened them as they turned around.

The two wizard police members were standing before them. Long wooden sticks that acted as their wands were sheathed on their belts. A large yellow gem was fused onto the center of their face, where their eyes would have been. Long hair hung over their shoulders and their arms were fully exposed on account of the white sleeveless shirts they wore. "Do you mind telling me what's with all of the ruckus?" one of them asked while placing his hands on his hips.

Jake was about to speak up but Finn covered his mouth with his hand. "My name is…Fralambodious. And this is my fellow wizard friend, Jakaar. We were simply looking to gain an audience with the Grand Master Wizard."

The other guard scratched the top of his head. "Hmm, well I highly doubt the Grand Master Wizard would even want to see you. Especially wizards with names as stupid as yours. But, if it'll get you to shut up, you may be on your way."

"Thanks," Finn said. "We will."

Finn tugged Jake by his tunic and the two began walking away.

"Hold it!" the first guard shouted, causing them both to stop and turn around again. "If you really are wizards, then show us some magic."

Finn and Jake both gulped at the same time. "Uh, now?" the dog asked.

"Yeah. Now," the guard replied.

Jake was the first to go. He used his powers to stretch out both of his arms and tied them together to form the shape of a flower. "Tada!" he said.

The guards looked at each other for a brief moment. "Stretching magic," one of them said. "Pfft, the lowest of all magic. But still magic nonetheless."

"What about you?" the other guard asked Finn.

"Oh, I uh…" Finn thought for a moment as the guards waited, tapping their feet on the ground. He took the first thing he saw on the floor: two small pebbles that he held out to both guards.

"What is this?" one of them asked.

"It's part of my magic using," Finn replied. "Each of you take a pebble."

They both reached for the pebbles after a moment of confusion. "Okay, now what?"

"Now, look at each other closely," Finn instructed.

The guards followed and stared at one another. "Where is this going?"

Rather than responding, Finn dashed forward and grabbed both of their heads in his hands. Before they had any time to react, the human bashed their heads together, successfully knocking both of them out and causing them to fall to the ground. Jake's eyes widened at the display while the human wiped some dust that had gathered on his tunic.

"Well, that's one way to deal with them," Jake said. "But we better go before more of them-"

"Hey!"

Another guard had appeared from around the corner at the end of the street, just far enough to notice two of his comrades fallen on the ground. Finn and Jake waited no time to start running as the guard began to chase after them, firing beams of energy at them from behind. It took very little time for other guards to join in afterwards due to the commotion.

The two heroes bolted left and right, throwing off the wizard police's aim. The further they ran, the more Wizard City began to become more of a maze. Every street was narrow and they often had difficulty moving out of the way of other passing wizards. It reached a point where their outfits did not matter anymore, so Jake stretched out of his and carried Finn with him to the rooftops, where the wizard police was out of reach. This did not stop their pursuit, however. They were certainly a stubborn bunch.

"This took such a drastic turn all of a sudden!" Jake said as they ran.

"It's you own fault!" Finn replied. "Why would you shout at the top of your lungs when were supposed to keep a low profile?!"

"I was nervous! You know I'm terrible at stealth! I may be able to fight like a ninja, but that doesn't mean I'm a good one!"

Finn groaned. He took off his outfit's white hat and tossed it down over the edge of the roof, effectively throwing one of the guards off balance and forcing him to fall. One of them was able to shoot another blast of energy at the human before falling, but it luckily missed him completely, even if it came very close to his arm. Form what they could gather, the wizard police had fallen fairly behind after the ordeal.

They kept running along the rooftops for a good while to make sure they were in the clear. When they saw that there were no more guards chasing them, Jake wrapped his arm around Finn and stretched them both up to the roof of a nearby tower, which was high enough to overlook almost the entirety of Wizard City.

Both adventurers took a moment to catch their breath. Finn sat on the edge of the tower's roof, letting his feet dangle over the high fall. "This day has gone wrong in so many ways…" he said.

"Aw, come on," Jake replied. "It's not so bad."

"Yes it is. With the Wizard Police chasing us, there's no way we'll be able to speak to Grand Master Wizard. We won't be able to get answers…AND ME STILL BEING MAD ABOUT FLAME PRINCESS IS THROWING ME OFF!"

"Oh come on, I thought you said you got over that already."

"Well I haven't, dude! And I probably never will no matter how hard I try!" Finn took some time to calm himself down, taking deep breaths. "But that's not important right now. Now we'll never be able to find out about the Order of the Crow without being chased by everyone in this city."

Jake sat down next to Finn and placed a hand on the human's shoulder. The sun was shining its light directly at them, but since it was setting, they did not feel hot. A gentle breeze blew over them as well from being so high up. "It's not all lost," Jake said. "Let me see that mark on your hand real quick."

Finn removed the bands from around his hand and showed the palm to Jake. The canine pulled the hand closer and studied it.

"At least I got a cool tattoo out of this," Finn said.

Jake let go of Finn's hand. "If this is the symbol of a club here in Wizard City, then we just have to find it," he said. "Every club here has their symbol engraved on the outside of the buildings as far as I can tell. We just have to find one with a crow on it."

"Are you serious, Jake? This city is really big. It'll take ages to find what we're looking for."

"I know that. And yes, it could take a while to find. And we're not exactly welcome to roam around here freely. But no matter what it takes, no matter the struggles we might go through, we will-Oh, there it is."

"What?!" Finn asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's right there, see?" Jake replied while pointing at a specific location down below.

Finn looked in the same direction; Jake was right. At the far distance, near the edge of the city, was a tower made of concrete. The same symbol of the crow that was engraved on Finn's hand was also engraved on the stone, clear enough for almost the entire city to see.

"Looks like we found our destination," Jake said.

Finn actually managed a smile and rubbed the dog's head playfully. "Way to go," he said. "Come on. Let's get down there as quick as we can."

Jake wrapped his arm around Finn again and stretched them both down from the tower. He kept them both up in the rooftops to not attract any attention from the wizards below. The tower with the crow drew closer, and building that served as its base came into view. The tower itself was not as tall as the previous, but it was still a massive sight to behold. There was small courtyard in front of the building, but it seemed mostly abandoned due to the unkempt stone path leading up to the entrance and the overgrown grass. In fact, the entire place seemed baron.

Wooden panels covered all of the windows; chunks of the concrete were falling off from the walls; and the door itself was also barred shut. Finn and Jake stood in the courtyard, looking at the derelict structure. "What a mess," Jake said. "Maybe this isn't the place."

"No, it has to be," Finn replied. "It has the exact same symbol that's on my hand." _'But Ice King said he had been trying a lot of times to join the Order of the Crow. This place looks like it's been abandoned for decades.'_

"I don't know about you, but I don't think we'll be finding anyone in there," Jake added.

"Well, it won't hurt to look. Let's head inside and see what we can find."

Jake increased the size of his hand and punched right through the front door, paving the way for both of them to step inside. The whole place was a bigger mess on the inside: broken chairs; a chandelier hanging from the ceiling that seemed just about ready to fall; grass growing out of the rotting wooden floor; there was absolutely no sign of recent life.

There were a lot of books lying on the ground, but most of them had either had their pages ripped or were burned, so that was already dozens of possible clues down. A fireplace stood at the very end of the large room, black and cold from lack of use; there were two doors beside it, and the symbol of the crow was carved over the hearth. The only light was the one coming from the hole Jake had created and the small rays of light coming from the cracks of the boarded windows, but even they were growing weak as night approached.

Finn and Jake split up to search each side of the room. They looked underneath the broken furniture, looked for any sort of hidden path, but no matter how hard they tried, it only seemed to be a just another abandoned building.

"Dude, I'm not getting anything from this place," Jake said while trying to smell for anything or anyone.

Finn groaned and kicked one of the broken chairs, breaking it into even more pieces. "There has to be _something_. Why else would my dream lead me here if there was nothing for me to find? The members of the Order must've left something behind. Anything!"

Jake wrapped both of his arms around Finn, trying to calm him down. "Come on, man! I mean, I know you feel like this is something you have to do, but you really don't. No one is forcing you. Let's face it, this place is dead!"

"That's just what they want you to think," a familiar voice said from behind the duo.

Finn and Jake both turned around to find the source. It was none other than Ice King, floating near the broke doorway.

"Ice King?!" Finn said. "What are you doing here?!"

"Like I said, I come here every so often to try and join the club. After I found out that they let you in of all people, I wanted to come give them a piece of my mind!" He floated near the two adventurers. "So, how do you open the door?"

Finn and Jake looked at each other briefly. "Door?" the dog asked.

"Yes, the door! How do you open it? If you're a member, you must know."

Finn sighed. "Ice King, I'm not a member of any stupid club. In fact, there is no club here at all, and you're just as crazy as always for thinking that there is. Look around you."

"They make the clubhouse look like this on purpose," Ice King replied. "They want people to believe that there really is no Order of the Crow. But I figured out their game. I know where they really hide out. Behind the door."

"What door?" Finn asked.

"Why should I tell you? After all, you're a mem-GAH!"

Ice King's crown fell of as Finn jumped to grab him by the beard and pin him to the ground. "I'm not playing games right now, Ice King! This entire day has been a roller coaster of emotions for me, and anger has been the worst one so far! Tell me where this 'door' is or the next time you wake up, you won't have a beard!"

"Okay, okay," said the frightened Ice King. "I'll take you to it. Just let me go!"

Finn did so and the first thing he did was grab his crown from the floor. He began to float again when he put in on his head and motioned for Finn and Jake to follow him through one of the doors next to the fireplace.

The door creaked as it opened, letting a gust of wind enter the dark staircase beyond. There was just enough light for them to see all the way to the bottom before the hall turned left. Ice King made it to the bottom a lot faster than they did since they were minding their steps, but the old wizard made no remarks as he waited patiently. He only moved when Finn and Jake both reached him. It was hard to tell, but it seemed as if the hallway ended with another staircase leading back up to the main room through the other door. The door that they were looking for, however, was located to the right at the center of the hall.

There was something definitely odd about it. Rather than being made of wood, like all other doors, it was made of metal. The metal itself seemed like it had been polished every day and did not have a single hint of rust on its surface. Once again, the symbol of the crow that was also on Finn's hand was carved into the center. But the most compelling feature of the door was its glow.

A strange purple aurora surrounded the frames, and sparks seemed to float upwards from them. Some kind of magical ward? Finn and Jake could not say. Luckily, Ice King had the answers. "They shielded this door with some weird incantation biz or whatever so that no anyone who wasn't from the club could enter. No matter how hard you knock, no one ever opens it. Maybe you have to speak some password or something…"

Jake tested Ice King's theory. He was right; no matter how hard the dog pushed or pulled on the door, it would not budge. "Man, they really didn't want anyone in there," he said.

"Well, I'm going in one way or another," Finn said.

He walked closer to the door, studying every single one of its details. Slowly, he raised his hand where the crow marking lied and placed it against the door, and for a split second, the aurora around it seemed to shift.

It began to pulse, as if it was alive and had a beating heart. The purple light morphed into small tendrils that began to wrap themselves around Finn's arm. Needless to say, the three of them were shocked at the sight, not moving as the tendrils stopped at the base of his shoulder. It was very faint and quick, but after a while longer Finn could swear he heard a voice whisper two words inside of his head.

 _Shadowed One._

The strange tendrils then retreated from his arm and the aurora began to disappear from the door. A loud 'clang' came from it and it slightly moved, opening itself to the trio standing in the hall. No one said a word for the longest time, but there was no need. They were all thinking the same thing.

"What are we getting ourselves into?" Jake wondered.

"You know what?" Ice King added. "Maybe getting into this club isn't such a great idea after all. We should head back."

"No," Finn firmly replied. "You can go, but I'm seeing this through to the very end."

Neither Ice King nor Jake argued or budged from their position, though their nervousness was obvious in their faces.

Preparing himself, Finn reached for the door once more and began to push it open.

* * *

 **Note: It's only been six chapters but I'm pretty sure I've already used Jake more than I have ever used him in any other Adventure Time stories of mine.**

 **-WaffleTron9000: You'll get to see what I'm planning…soon enough.**

 **-TimeManipulator99: Thanks. I'm not really aiming for long chapters on this one but I will write a long one if it is ever required.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: It won't be easy, but Finn will pull through…I hope.**

 **Next Chapter: Seeking Answers**


	7. Chapter 7: Seeking Answers

**Chapter 7: Seeking Answers**

Everyone felt a chill run deep in their bones as the door creaked open; even Ice King. A gust of wind came from the dark hall, making it seem as if the place was haunted with its ghost-like moans. It was hard to tell what exactly awaited them ahead, but the walls did not seem to match that of the ones outside. They were not made of either concrete or wood, but natural stone.

It almost felt as if they were walking straight into the mouth of an unknown creature, waiting to swallow them whole as soon as they walked inside. This was made even more apparent by the fact that there were both stalagmites and stalactites along the side of the walls like razor sharp teeth. When the howling of the wind stopped, Finn, Jake, and Ice King stood silent, staring into the dark abyss. Jake and Ice King would have loved nothing more than to run away then and there, but they did not. The fear got the best of them and froze them in place.

Finn was not afraid, but neither was he fully bent on stepping into the darkness. But he had to. He had come this far, might as well see the entire thing through. However, just as he began taking the first steps forward, Jake placed a hand on his shoulder from behind.

"Dude, are you sure you won't reconsider this?" the dog asked with obvious nervousness in his tone. "It's _really_ dark in there."

"I already said you didn't have to come with me, didn't I?" Finn replied.

Jake gulped some saliva that had been accumulated in his mouth. "I know, but…I don't want to leave you all by yourself either. What kind of brother would I be if I just left and then something happened to you?"

Finn smiled and turned to Ice King, who seemed just as scared as Jake. "What about you?" the human asked.

"Normally I would already be on my merry way out, but I really wanna be a part of this club. If I can get through this scary tunnel, then I'm definitely in officially."

Finn did not argue. As indifferent as he was to having Ice King tagging along, it could be worse. He simply nodded and turned his attention back to the dark tunnel, still unable to see anything five feet beyond the entrance. There was no source of light, so they would basically be going in blind, and going back outside into the city while the wizard police were still on their tale was a no-go. So…blind it was.

Naturally, Finn was the first to go. To avoid falling, he kept both of his arms pressed against the rocky walls of the narrow corridor. The walls were wet, and Finn pleaded silently that it was water. Soon after, Jake and Ice King mustered up the courage to follow as well. Jake simply shrunk and sat himself on top of Finn's head, too scared to move on his own. The sound of Ice King's beard as it kept him afloat was the only other sound.

The air grew colder the more they advanced, but the walls were less moist. Each step the human took was done with great care of not stepping on any bulges or stalagmites along the path that might cause him to trip. It would be a very great predicament if he fell while in such darkness, and Jake shaking from fear on top of his head was not helping. As Finn walked, however, his hand came into contact with something hanging from the wall; something metal.

The same feeling was on his other hand as well. Two items, both unidentified, were currently in his grasp. "What is this?" he asked himself out loud.

As if to answer his question, what had turned out to be a hanging torch on the wall burst into flames, along with all the others that ran along the tunnel walls. As Jake and Ice King shrieked in fear, Fin simply stumbled back a few feet, knocking Ice King several feet backwards.

The way before them was illuminated now, and they could see the end of the tunnel. A rounded wooden door was built into the walls. It was adorned with the same crow insignia on Finn's hand, carved neatly into the wood. Unlike the wooden doors they encountered before, this one did not seem to have begun rotting yet. It seemed as if it had been installed recently, but Finn knew that would be impossible. No doubt there was some magic at work here, and it made him all the more nervous that they had encountered no one so far. Whoever this strange Order consisted of, they went through some lengths to keep people out.

Jake had shrunken himself down a lot more and hid inside Finn's hair, looking through the blonde strands as if he were traversing a jungle. Ice King was still there, but he seemed just about ready to bolt back the way they came. But at least the torches added a sense of ease now that they could properly see in front of them. This also allowed Finn to move forward a lot quicker, and the trio reached the door.

He was hesitant at first, but Finn eventually reached out and grabbed the knob. It turned fully to the side, meaning the door was open, and began to push it open. The bright orange light of a fire was already coming from inside; maybe there really was a secret club down here? It only took fully opening the door and a shocked scream form all three to figure it out.

There was no way of telling how or why, but any members that belonged to what was once the Order of the Crow were all dead.

The room was rounded and seemed to be some sort of council hall. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, but it was more beautifully adorned than the one they had encountered before, with stalactites hanging all around it. A table was set in the center, perfectly rounded to fir the shape of the room despite the walls also being made of rock. There were seven chairs placed around the table, and all seven were occupied by robed and rotting skeletons.

Their robes were purple and each was adorned in the chest with the same crow sigil that seemed to be everywhere. From the way the skeletons themselves looked, it seemed as if the Order was made up mostly of goblins. But there was no indication on the corpses as to what exactly killed them all. No stab tears on the robes, no poison vials, nothing. It was almost as if they had stayed in just one place and waited to die naturally. It would make some sense, since most of the skeletons had long white beards that were yet to fall off completely.

In the center of the round table was a small pedestal, shaped like half a sphere and the other half appeared to be attached to the table, acting as a base. Its surface appeared to resemble that of a marbled. Most of it was as black as night, but it was accompanied by an intricate design of white lines all around its surface. The light of the torches along the wall reflected off of it spectacularly. Truly a work of art.

"Man..." Finn said. "What happened here?"

Finn could actually admire the style of the room, but Jake and Ice King were still too focused on the corpses on the tables. The human knew it would be a while before they were knocked out of their trances, so he grabbed Jake from his hiding spot on top of his head and placed him on Ice King's shoulder, who was too mesmerized to notice.

The only real item of any value to Finn was the orb in the center of the table, but he failed to see how it could provide him with any sort of answers to his questions. He knew there had to be something more to it. It was unclear what it was, but he knew.

Slowly, he leaned in on the table, making sure not to topple any of the corpses. Upon placing his hand on top of the orb, a bright ray of white light shot out of it not a moment after.

The shock made Finn tumble backwards, and the commotion was enough to bring Jake and Ice King back to their senses. Jake stretched back into his normal for and helped the human from the ground as the light began to die down. "Dude, are you okay?!" asked the worried and terrified canine.

Finn groaned as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me, is all."

"Whoa," Ice King said, who was currently floating above the orb. "You guys should check this out. Cool…"

Jake helped Finn up completely and the two walked back to the table, and both were mesmerized by what they were seeing. The orb, with the light that emanated from its now fully white surface, was projecting some sort of map along the entire table.

There were several locations marked on it by name, and for a moment, Finn thought he remembered some of these locations. "Is this…a map of the Desert of Doom?" he wondered.

It very much looked like it. Finn had barely visited the desert after his unfortunate mishap with the royal tarts, but he remembered most of it from the short experience. Running into the dark caves, being mugged by a laser gun wielding butterfly, having to constantly lie to PB. All of these memories actually made Finn embarrassed of how immature he could have been during his younger years. Or maybe he still was…

In any case, they had another lead to follow. Finn and Jake would have preferred to be done with the whole thing right now, but both knew it would not be so easy. If the human's dream was any sort of indication, they had a very long road ahead of them. One that even he was not looking forward to, but was determined to follow through nonetheless.

Ice King seemed more impressed with the map's pretty glow rather than the map itself, but Finn and Jake only focused on studying it. Wherever they had to go, if the glowing orb served as some sort of destination mark, their next goal was near the center of the desert, which meant a pretty long trek. Naturally, Jake groaned in annoyance. "All the way in there?" he asked. "But the desert is hooooooooot."

"I know, Jake," Finn replied. "But we can manage." _'I can't believe I'm about to do this.'_

Finn turned to Ice King, who was still staring wide-eyed at the map. "Ice King," he called out, knocking the wizard from his trance. "How would you like to go on a little trip with us?"

The ice wizard's expression beamed. "You mean were going on a road trip as bros?"

"Yeah, man," Finn replied. Before he knew it, Jake pulled his face closer to his own.

"Dude, are you nuts?!" Jake asked in a whispering shout. "Why are we bringing Ice King?"

"We're going through a desert, Jake. Ice is basically water. Trust me, we need him. At least for now."

Jake looked back at Ice King, with an expression that showed he was still not happy with the decision. "Gah, fine. But you're taking care of him. I'm not babysitting after no Ice King."

Finn smiled and turned back to Ice King. "Alright, Ice King, you're in."

Ice King squealed in delight. "ROAD TRIIIIP!"

After Finn's ears recovered from the loud yell, he turned his attention back to the map. "Okay, we need to memorize this as much as we can, but we don't wanna write it down on paper just in case." The human though for a moment. "Jake, can you morph your skin so the map stays drawn on your body?"

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I can try."

He turned to the map and began to study it carefully. Holding the palm of his right hand in sight, he began to morph his skin, drawing the map itself with it. It took a few minutes, but when he was done, the entire map was fully drawn on his palm; smaller, but still readable enough so they would not get lost.

"Okay, we have what we need, so let's go," Finn said.

"Agreed," Jake replied. "This place creeps me out."

Finn nodded in agreement. As they turned around to leave, no surprise would have gotten them better than seeing Weimar standing at the doorway out.

Jake and Ice King screamed in surprise. It was indeed the same wizard that the human and canine had met in the forest only a day ago. Finn actually found it very surprising it had been that short amount of time ago with everything that had happened. His cloak was over his face and the orb resting at the top of his staff lightly glowed. However, he was not _actually_ there. There was a transparent look about him that was accompanied by strange smoke around the base of his feet. He must have been seeing them through some form of hologram.

"Finn!" he said, his voice echoing. "Quickly now!"

The human stepped up, but kept his guard up. "What are you doing here?"

"No time! Listen, no matter what he says, you must continue on! The fate of all of Ooo rests on you reaching the end of this journey. You must fight on!"

"Huh? What do you mean? Weimar?!"

It was too late to ask any more questions. Weimar's hologram began to fade as the cloud of smoke elevated itself and engulfed him in it. When it cleared, the only thing in front of Finn was the doorway leading back out.

"Uh, what was that?!" Ice King asked.

"Finn, I don't like this…" Jake commented.

For a brief moment, the human remained motionless, taking in everything he had just heard. He only had to look behind him and nod his head to let Jake and Ice King know he was still with them. "We're leaving," he said.

The trio wasted no time getting out of the room for good. The orb that casted the map across the table turned off when they all stepped through the doorway and each torch along the wall turned off individually as they walked past them. It was as if the entire place was aware of their presence and was preparing for their leave. While it did make it harder for them to find their way back because of the darkness, the group eventually reached the main hall.

There was no more sunshine coming through the cracks and boards on the windows; just the bright white light of the moon. As much as Finn would have loved to keep going, he knew Jake was tired just by looking at him. They would most likely have to go back to their home and sleep the night off. The Desert of Doom would have to wait until morning.

So many questions raced through his mind. If anything, the trip to Wizard City had only left him with more questions than answers. If he was going to find the answers he wanted, he, Jake, and Ice King would have to risk the journey across the dangerous desert.

Finn only had to take one step outside before he was brought to a complete halt. But it was not just him; it was Jake and Ice King as well. Something, unknown to all of them, was keeping them in place. From the dark alleys beyond the small courtyard, bright rays of a radiant orange light in the form of beams were shot at them. There was no telling what the source was on account of the lack of light, but whatever the mysterious light was had rendered the trio completely immobile; frozen in place without being able to move their limbs.

"Ugh, what is this?!" Jake was the first to ask.

No matter how hard the dog tried to stretch his limbs, he remained locked in the same pose as when he was walking normally out of the abandoned structure behind them. Ice King remained suspended in mid-air. His beard moved, but his body never flew anywhere. It was the same with Finn despite his best attempts at trying to walk.

It had all been a trap. The wizard police revealed themselves to be waiting for them as they stepped out of the alleys, wands in hand as they casted the beams that locked the trio in place. Only three of the guards were busy with the task, but there must have been a total of over ten of them surrounding them.

"We've got you now," said one of them.

"Is this about the whole business about us not really being wizards?" Finn asked. "Look, were sorry we had to resolve to violence earlier. Is there any way that we can-"

"We're not here about that, Finn the Human," said another new voice.

Two guards stepped aside to make way for what Finn, Jake, and Ice King assumed was the leader of the wizard police. Unlike all of the others, who had yellow gems on their forehead, this one had one as red as a ruby. And while everyone else's wands were simple wooden sticks, his was smooth and was as black as the sky without stars. He was also somewhat taller than the rest.

"The Grand Master Wizard has personally ordered that you be brought to him," he said. "It seems you have been snooping around where you don't belong."

Finn could not argue with that. He and his friends had broken into Wizard City property, even if that property was abandoned. But how could that possibly be a crime worthy of gaining even the Grand Master Wizard's attention? Anyone else would have been taken directly to jail.

"What does GM want with us?" Ice King asked.

"That is for you to talk about when we take you to him," replied the police leader.

There was no way of struggling. Finn, Jake, and Ice King could only go with the wizard police as they were carried away.

* * *

The large double doors that made up the front entrance to the Grand Master Wizard's palace opened. Finn, Jake, and Ice King were carried inside the large hall by the same guards that had kept them immobile for the entire way. Also accompanying them inside was their leader, who naturally led the way.

If there was one way Finn could describe the hall, it had to be "empty". It was big, but there was nothing in it except for the large marble pillars that held the entire structure up. There were no windows, so the only light came from three chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, each perfectly aligned with the others. A black carpet was set out in the center of the floor leading up to the Grand Master Wizard's throne, where he was busy laughing and rolling around a ball of yarn for his cat to chase after. He straightened himself when he saw the group approaching.

One thing that really did stand out was the throne itself. It looked big even from back in the room and its dark gray color stood out among all of the white in the rest of the room. It was so big that the Grand Master could fit in it with no problem. If anyone else sat on it, it would be too wide to feel any sort of comfort.

As he, Jake, and Ice King were taken along, Finn could only try and guess what was going on. He and the Grand Master had never personally interacted, so it was easy to say this was not a case of a personal grudge between them or Jake. Maybe Ice King, but that was easily resolved with kicking him out. No, there was definitely something else at play here, but the three of them were unable to anything as long as they were kept imprisoned in the beams.

The leader of the wizard police bowed respectfully before the leader of Wizard City when they reached the throne. "Grand Master Wizard, we have brought the prisoners to you as requested."

"Excellent," GM responded. "Leave them be right here. If they're smart, they won't try to escape knowing they won't get far."

Each guard bowed their heads and dropped the trio the ground. The Grand Master Wizard looked down on them from atop his throne, studying them carefully.

"GM!" Ice King said cheerfully. "How's it goin'?"

"Do not speak, Ice King," GM replied. "Frankly, your constant annoyance here in Wizard City is bothersome enough, but why is it that you have brought this human and dog with you?"

"Wha-Me?!" Ice King asked. "They came here on their own! I mean, sure we're bros…but I'm not responsible for the trouble they get into."

"Speaking of which, _are_ we in trouble?" Jake asked.

GM began to laugh. "Oh, more than you can imagine, dog. You have been interfering in Wizard City business."

"Business?" Finn asked, standing up from the ground. "We were only looking around."

"I guess that explains how you were somehow able to break the wards that I placed and managed to get into a room that has been sealed off for centuries?"

"Uh…yes?" Finn responded.

Everyone was taken back when GM hopped down from the throne and landed right in front of the group, making the entire room shake from the impact. He knelt down closer to the ground so that his eyes were equal height to the human's.

"Listen well, Finn the Human," he said. "You possess a mark on your hand that has not been seen in Ooo since the fall of the Order of the Crow. You may deny it all you want, but I know you have it. It's the only explanation for you being able to break the wards." He placed a finger on the human's chest. "The path that you currently walk down has been taken by those crazy fanatics of the Order before. I had to lock them away before they could continue, and would do so again if I was forced to take drastic action. Believe me when I say that you will not enjoy what you find at the end of this journey. You may as well give up now."

Finn shoved GM's finger away. "And why should I? What lies at the end of the journey that I should be wary of?"

"There's…I cannot say," GM replied.

Finn narrowed his eyes. "Wait…so you talk of killing people in cold blood rather than bringing them to justice and you won't even tell me why?"

"All you need to know is that taking the journey itself is folly. Many men have tried before you. Stronger men. None could ever make it. And neither will you."

Finn stared up at the master wizard. He remembered everything Weimar had told him earlier. He must have been talking about GM. If that was the case, then everything he was currently saying was most likely false.

"Uh, Finn? Maybe we should just listen to him," Jake said.

The human stared down at the crow marking on his wrist. "No. I have no idea what any of my dreams mean, but I intend to find out. And I'm not gonna let any of your threats stop me!" He turned to Jake and Ice King. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

"Dream?!" GM's voice boomed. "Oh no, you don't. Guards!"

On cue, the members of the wizard police all shot the beams at the trio once again and froze them in place. Finn greatly struggled to break free, but it was no use whatsoever.

"Take these three to prison," GM ordered. "If they will not listen to reason, then let them never continue on. May they rot away in a cell."

"What?!" Ice King asked. "Aw come on, bro! Let's talk this through!"

"I'm not your bro!" GM responded. "Take them from my sight!"

As they were carried out of the palace and through the double doors, Finn could only shoot an angry glare at the Grand Master before they closed.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Flowers and Stones**

 **Note: It's sad to think that this show is actually ending in two years, but I think people are saying goodbye a little too early, no?**

 **-TimeManipulator99: Thanks. There will be more to come.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: It will be hard indeed.**

 **-Ooobserver: It's good to see you've taken a liking to it. We shall see where it takes us.**


	8. Chapter 8: Flowers and Stones

**Chapter 8: Flowers and Stones**

Normally, being made of fire, Flame Princess would never be able to feel the sun shining against her face; but this morning was different. She could feel its warm radiance as she opened her eyes, welcoming her into the morning. It was one of the best experiences gained from being the ruler of the great Fire Kingdom: seeing the beauty of it from all the way up in her room. Seeing her home. There was nothing that could possibly compare to it.

A light breeze accompanied the sunrise, blowing at the curtains that decorated the balcony's archway. They were like ghost, with tails so long that they floated above her like the dress of the fairest maiden dancing at a ball. Flame Princess wanted to know why such images came to her mind when waking up, but she decided to leave it a mystery. Despite the honesty law of the kingdom, she had to admit certain mysteries left unanswered were better off that way. It would always be that way when inside her lamp.

Flame Princess hated to recall that glass prison, but there was one positive thing she could say about it: it gave her great interest in the world that awaited beyond the glass itself. Every day she would imagine what the world outside looked like, each image different every day when she closed her eyes. When she actually managed to one day leave that prison, everything the world was enticed her nothing ever had before.

The green grass, the tall trees, the gentle breeze of the wind as she flew across the sky; absolutely nothing could ever compare. And now, as she stood from her bed and walked out to the balcony, that world now stood before her, even if most of it was just hills of coal and piles if fire, she was seeing part of the world. The part that she would always call "home".

It brought a smile to her face every time she enjoyed the view, especially when her citizens seemed happy and prosperous. The grogginess of sleep seemed to wash away in mere seconds, replaced by the will needed to make sure the Fire Kingdom remained as it was. However, while everything was as normal as always and the day was made out to be beautiful, Flame Princess would not be smiling any time soon.

This was the one day of the year that always stripped her of her happiness. The one day of every year where she made the long walk among the seemingly endless amounts of stone. Anyone else would have been able to handle it just fine, but since Flame Princess had only been out of her lamp for a few years, the entire experience was completely new to her. Right now, all she wanted was to get it out of the way as soon as possible, so she wasted no more time in enjoying the morning view of the sunrise and began to get ready.

She did not feel like wearing anything too fancy. The bright orange dress that she wore for most occasions would suit nicely. Of course, it was not the exact same dress. But it was a perfect replica tailored to suit her stature since outgrowing the old one. Wearing it always reminded her of all the good times she had with…she cast aside the thought. Right now was not the time to be reliving past events.

As Flame Princess finished by placing her crown atop her head, she stared at her reflection in the clothing cabinet's mirror. When she first took control of the kingdom, there was no possible way of knowing where she would have ended up. Now, as she stood with her head held high, it could be safely said that her rule had gone a lot better than she expected it to. During her first few days, she thought it would have ended very soon. But now, she was confident in herself, and in everyone else who served the kingdom.

However, could she really keep it up? The more the Fire Kingdom prospered, the harder her tasks would increasingly get. And who else would be able to take her stead should she be unable to handle everything on her own? Then again, it was one of the main reasons she had chosen Blayze as her suitor.

With every passing day, he always showed more promise of being a worthy king for the Fire Kingdom. To have someone by her side who had more experience among the common folk than Flame Princess, it would definitely relieve much of the tension clouding her. But while being with Blayze was one thing, thinking about actually marrying him in the coming future was another matter entirely.

In any case, it was a new day, and Flame Princess would not be bothering herself with such distant troubles. She would be focusing on the present.

She took a deep breath in front of her mirror. "Okay Phoebe," she mumbled to herself. "You can get through this. You always have. Just get through it quick and then it'll be just another day of ruling the kingdom."

After slightly fixing the position of her crown, Flame Princess turned and left her room. She was immediately greeted by the two guards that were always posted outside right beside the door. They straightened their poses and slightly bowed their heads in respect as she walked outside into the hall. Flame Princess appreciated the gesture but mostly ignored it.

It was only natural that the halls of the palace were still empty of anyone except for the guards. The day was young and hours of work were still a ways off, which made it the perfect opportunity to walk around before having to start any of her normal duties. She decided to take a quick walk through the gardens behind the palace, picking several flowers that she found along the way until they formed a neat bundle in her hands. Their individual flames mixed with each other to form one big torch, making them glow even more.

Flame Princess kept her head down through most of the walk back inside the palace and into her throne room. But she would not be sitting down at her throne just yet. Instead, her guards opened the main doors of the palace for her as she stepped outside, still carrying the bundle of flowers in her hands. And, as she had requested the night before, her personal carriage was waiting just out front for her arrival.

The rider jerked as he saw her and kept a steady grip on the reins keeping the two fire steeds in place. Flame Princess walked up to the nearest one and petted its fiery mane, earning her a small puff of air on her face as the beast smelled her. After telling the rider where she was going, she stepped inside spent the entire ride looking out the small side window.

Shops and businesses were just beginning to open while others still remained closed. But from what little movement there was on the streets, the civilians seemed happy and safe enough, just as she wanted them to be. It was for this brief moment of sightseeing that she actually managed to smile since waking up. The heartwarming feeling of seeing several children run past her carriage, all while laughing and playing with each other, was her reason for ruling the kingdom, no matter how hard it could get at times. But all of these feelings were overshadowed when the carriage came to a halt as it reached its destination.

Before the rider had the chance to open the door for her, Flame Princess opened it herself, stepped out, and simply thanked him for the ride. And as she turned her head to whatever was blocking the sun's rays from reaching her, the words "Fire Kingdom Cemetery" loomed overhead, carved into a stone sign over a metal gate.

Her carriage would be waiting for her return while she walked inside, passing by all of the tombstones that housed the ashes of all fire people that were extinguished. All of them, from the smallest to the largest, held the names of those that had fallen recently, before Flame Princess even had the chance of meeting them. That was another thing that saddened her about being the ruler: her duties kept her from familiarizing herself with the very people she was ruling. She felt like a stranger in her own home most of the time.

The entire cemetery was empty; devoid of any other elemental looking to pay respects for the dead. It was a lot windier than she thought it would be, and the howling made it seem as if the spirits of the graves surrounding her were all speaking to her at once. She knew better than to believe that, but she also somehow wished it was true. That the dead could speak to the living even after they were gone from the world.

As her heels continued to make noise every time she stepped on the stones of the path she walked on, Flame Princess came ever closer to the center of the cemetery, where the largest of all pantheons stood. Her family's pantheon.

She remembered the first time she laid eyes upon it. It was truly a sight to behold. Two dragon statues were placed on each side of the door, each of them pointing at each other with their maws wide open. The roof of the pantheon was triangular and was decorated with small pikes around its edges. Unlike the rest of the pantheons in the cemetery, this one was made exclusively from obsidian; obsidian that had held up quite well since it was built. Its surface was smooth and shined when the light if the sun hit it at just the right angle. Flame Princess and her family were the only ones in the entire kingdom with the key to open the gate inside, which she carried with her at all times inside of her pocket. While holding the flowers with one hand, she used the key and stepped inside.

Multiple torches shined the staircase leading further down into the crypts. The place always creeped Flame Princess out, but she never found herself wholeheartedly afraid. She would always shiver at the inexplicably cold air. Her brother once told her that the reason it was cold was because their dead ancestors kept any cold that entered the kingdom locked down here, allowing it to remain hot all of the time. And over the years, as more winters covered Ooo, the crypt would get colder from helping to keep out the snow. But it was only a legend told to the children of Fire Kingdom by their parents.

Upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, what stood before Flame Princess was a long hallway, lit by torches that glowed purple rather than orange. While the torches on the staircase had to be lit again every so often, these ones never went out. Something about the burning material that they put in them whenever someone new is buried, it helps them burn forever. Even she was unaware to the secret of their mysterious flames.

On each sides of the stone hall, lined up beside one another with a torch in front of them, were the statues of Flame Princess' dead ancestors. All of them were here, from the very first Flame King, to the very first Flame Queen. The kings stood opposite from the queens to depict who ruled with whom. She stared at each of their carved faces, shuddering to think that they were staring down at her. It made her uncomfortable to think that one day, a statue of her would be also be carved and placed beside the rest of her family, with nothing but the purple light of the torches to light her face forever.

As Flame Princess continued to walk, the faces from some of the statues became more familiar, from her great-grandfather to her grandfather…and all ending with _her_.

Flame Princess stood quietly before the final statue in the row, before the hall continued with empty spots for those that awaited in the future. She knelt down to the ground while holding the flowers and closed her eyes from a brief moment, allowing the torch in front of her to warm her in this cold place. When she opened them again, fresh tears now running down her cheeks, she stared directly at the eyes of the statue.

"Hey, Mom," she said.

Looking at the statue of her mother was like already looking at the statue of herself. She stood with her fingers entwined with each other, standing as gracefully as Flame Princess wished she could. There was a warm smile carved on her face, but it only served to make Flame Princess feel worse; not better.

It was on this very day over ten years ago, when Flame Princess was still a child trapped in her lamp, her mother was taken from the world. On that day, when the news had been brought to her father that she had passed, he seemed rather indifferent, but Flame Princess spent the rest of that day bawling her eyes out on the floor of her lamp, not even allowed to attend her funeral no matter how much she begged. It was also the day she started to loathe her father.

In every single memory she had of her mother, she was always happy. Almost every night, when Flame King was done for the day, her mother would come into the throne and lower the lamp so she could be face-to-face with her. Flame Princess could remember her mother singing a lullaby to help her sleep, going out almost instantly from how soothing her voice was. But before she closed her eyes, she would always hear her mother whisper the words, "I love you, my sweet daughter." She always said it without fail.

Looking away from the statues eyes, Flame Princess now stared into the purple flames. Whenever a member of the royal family dies, their bodies are turned to ashes and are used to light the torches. It is supposedly these ashes that make the flames burn forever.

It is also said that looking into the flames is like looking directly into their souls, and they could hear every word uttered to them even in the afterlife. The thought was disturbing; to think that her mother could actually be able to listen to her daughter every time she spoke into the flames. It was one of the reasons she was always a bit frightened to come visit her. Nevertheless, here she was, mourning for her mother as she had always done since being freed from her lamp prison.

"I, uh…I brought you some flowers," she said as her voice slightly broke. "You always told me these were your favorite before you…went away. Figured you would want some of them to smell…wherever you are."

Flame Princess wiped the tears from her face and tossed the flowers into the torch, watching the flames grow even brighter for a brief moment as they disintegrated completely. It was also a wide know theory that the dead could receive gifts from the living by burning them in the fire. While she did not fully believe it, she hoped that the flowers somehow reached her mother.

"The rest of the family will come say hello later," she continued. "I just really wanted to come here before I had to start working for the rest of the day. It's only fair since…since Dad never came by to visit you after you died. Luckily, there's a chance, a slight chance but a chance nonetheless, that he might actually turn over a new leaf. He's got a sweet little candy person and a few chipmunks to keep him company." Flame Princess chuckled. "Stupid, I know. But it'll be good for him, I think."

Every time she spoke, Flame Princess always expected some sort of answer, but she was not very surprised when none came. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"Mom, I need your help. Every day, my life only gets harder and harder. If this kingdom is going to prosper, I can't continue on my own. Which is why I know you'll be happy to hear that…I have a suitor. Someone who I'm certain will make a good king when the time comes. His name is Blayze. But…I still can't get _him_ out of my mind."

Flame princess paused for a moment.

"I've grown to really love Blayze, but…I also still love Finn. But, as much as it pains me to say this, he just wouldn't be cut out to rule. Finn is a fighter, and a really good one at that. He cares about the people around them, and they all see him as a hero, just like I do. But I have to put the Fire Kingdom before my own desires. If we're going to prosper, then Blayze is the best person to lead us in that direction. However, that doesn't mean I don't want Finn in my life anymore. Far from it. I just wanna live in a world where the two of us can continue to be good friends, as long as he understands why I chose Blayze."

She looked at the flames to see some sort of response, but sighed when there was none.

"Every single day I worry that I'm gonna get a message saying he died at the hands of some monster out in the wilderness, or that he fell down a ditch somewhere and was never found again. So please, Mom, all I ask is that you look after him. And Blayze. Don't let anything happen to either of them. And help Finn find someone he can be happy with that's not me. And hopefully one day…our families can share stories to one another as close friends."

Flame Princess was done, and she expected nothing from the fires, but she still continued to look at them either way. When her knees began to hurt, she stood from the ground, giving one last glance to her mother's statue before turning to leave the crypt.

She felt herself get a lot warmer when she made it outside. The feeling of the still rising sun shining against her face made her almost forget she was crying just a few minutes prior.

When she made it back to the cemetery's entrance, where her carriage was still waiting, the rider jerked on his seat when she cleared her throat next to him. "R-ready to go, my lady?" he asked.

"I am," she replied.

As the carriage rode off with Flame Princess inside, the sun had now fully risen and was shining over all of Ooo.

* * *

 **Note: Not much character dialogue in this one compared to the rest, but I hope you enjoyed nonetheless.**

 **-TimeManipulator99: I'm glad you are.**

 **-Ooobserver: And more to be revealed later on.**

 **-Blizzard209: Thanks. Will do.**

 **Next Chapter: Barrier**


	9. Chapter 9: Barrier

**Chapter 9: Barrier**

Huntress Wizard could just tell something was off. The streets of Wizard City had been mostly empty of any guards for an entire week. If she knew the Grand Master Wizard well enough, he would have never risked leaving the city so unprotected unless it involved something very important. But then again, being the leader of all wizards, she found very little that could actually make him worry.

Or maybe she was simply thinking too much into it. Maybe Wizard City was okay without the need of the wizard police's presence every single day. And even if it was not, she could care less either way. The only reason she ever visited Wizard City was to purchase some potions from the local alchemist, but truth be told, she hated the place. All of these robed wizards lurking around, masking their faces under their hoods, doing Glob knows what; be it an ancient necromantic ritual or the summoning of an ancient evil being, it was always on the verge of being completely sucked into a vortex. Huntress only hoped that she was far away when it happened. But just close enough so she could see the fireworks.

Her head jerked when the alchemist banged his hand on the counter to get her attention. "Hey, I asked if you'd be paying in gold or jewels," he said.

Huntress shook her head to come back to her senses. "Gold," she replied while placing a small purse of it on the counter. The alchemist counted the money and handed her the bag filled with all of the potions she had asked for. "Thanks. I'll come back when I run out."

She left the shop without another word.

The sun was now at its highest peak in the sky, but several clouds that blew past only allowed some rays of light to reach the ground. Every street around Huntress was quiet and lacked any kind of wizard traffic. No doubt they were all holed up in their homes working on their usual experiments. But Huntress could care less. She only wanted to leave the city as soon as possible without interacting with anyone.

To take the quickest route possible, she decided to take the back alleys around the buildings rather than the main roads. Not the most sanitary route seeing as they were all covered with trash from tipped over trash cans and riddle with rats, roaches, and other vile creatures. However, what may have seemed disgusting to someone else was just a slight inconvenience to her. Living in a rundown tree house on the edge of a cliff for most of her life, she had grown used to living under less than desirable conditions. That is not to say it still made her uneasy to be walking down the alleys of the city, where the filth was almost all man-made rather than natural.

When Huntress came to the end of one of the alleys, only a short distance away from Wizard City's main entrance, she stopped right at the edge when she caught of peak of three wizard police grunts conversing to each other as they walked in her direction. Rather than show herself to them, she decided to just lay back and wait for them to pass.

"Did you hear the news?" one of them asked, almost in a whisper.

"What? That the human got sent to jail?" replied the second grunt.

Huntress' eyes widened, even if they were not visible to anyone else. _'A human? Could it be…No, what would he be doing in Wizard City? Then again, how many other humans could there possibly be in all of Ooo?'_

"It happened two days ago, didn't it?" the second grunt continued.

"Yeah. Apparently him, his dog companion, and Ice King got caught breaking into an old building and were arrested. After that, they were taken to the temple, where the human supposedly got on Grand Master Wizard's bad side. Now he's being guarded by almost every single one of Wizard City's guards around the hour, making sure he doesn't escape."

' _Magic dog? Ice King?'_ Huntress wondered. _'It has to be him. Finn…'_

"It makes our job harder, though," replied the second grunt. "With less guards patrolling the streets, crime has gotten way up. Especially at night. We don't have the manpower to deal with all of these goons at once."

"Well, maybe if we…"

Their voices began to fade as they walked further down the street. Huntress stepped out of the alley when they were out of sight, and turned to make her way out of Wizard City with her bag of potions. But, for reasons even she did not have the answer to, she stopped dead in her tracks, unable to keep going. Something was keeping her from leaving.

' _He…he'll be fine,'_ she told herself. _'I mean, this is Finn the Human we're talking about. With Ice King and Jake by his side, I'm sure they can all break out on their own soon, right?'_

She shook her head and began to walk again, only to come to another halt after just a few steps. Huntress had never been sentimental about anyone in her life. So how come she could not just walk away from this? Deep down, she knew better. Wizard City's prison was nothing like other prisons. If the three of them were still alive, and not put to medical beds yet, they would be soon. But then again, she was thinking about breaking someone out of prison. And not just anyone, but one of the most well-known individuals in Ooo, and the two others along with him. She was close to slapping herself.

Not to mention she still remembered the time she kissed Finn. A moment that even she did not fully comprehend herself at the moment it happened. It only made her annoyed that it was the first thing that popped into her head when thinking of him.

Huntress sighed. _'It wasn't that good of a kiss anyway,'_ she told herself. _'But…I can't just leave Finn in prison. Or Jake. Or…even Ice King. What is wrong with me?!'_

Finally giving in, Huntress went back into the alley and hid her potion bag behind some tipped over garbage cans, currently not in use. She painted a mental map so that she could come back and get it later, but for now, she left it behind and began to climb up to the rooftop of the nearest building.

After a while of jumping from rooftop to rooftop, she was able to locate the two guards she was eavesdropping on earlier. Both were still talking, but she was still too far to make out their exact words. And it was made even more a chore when they continued to turn sharp corners, making her lose them every so often. If she wanted to have to slightest chance of entering the prison, she needed them. Otherwise, she would have to wait for hours to spot another patrol with the lack of them on the streets.

Analyzing their walking pattern, she ran across the rooftops further ahead of the street, waiting for them to pass underneath. In the meantime, she focused on hearing more of their conversation as it got progressively clearer.

"I've been thinking," one of them said. "What if the human actually manages to somehow escape?"

The other laughed. "Are you joking? Almost every guard in Wizard City is making sure he doesn't. He may have been able to do it once with the bubblegum princess, but not this time."

"Okay, but let's just pretend that he does. Do you think the Grand Master would be desperate enough to summon… _them_?"

Huntress raised an eyebrow. "Them…?" she mumbled.

"Wha…you mean the Wardens? That's just an old story they tell to little kids, man."

The first grunt seemed uneasy. "I don't know. My old Nan used to tell me stories. As strong as gods; masters of the magical arts; more fearsome than any dragon. If they're sent after you, you're already dead. Some say even the Grand Master Wizard is afraid of them."

"The Wardens don't exist, and you better get that junk out of your head. Now come on, we still have a job to do."

Just as they finished, Huntress jumped down from the edge of the roof, catching both guards by surprise as they were too slow to notice the threat coming from above. She landed on top of one and made him fall to the ground, allowing her to quickly stand up and kick him across the head, knocking him unconscious.

The remaining guard was quicker to react. He shot several blast of energy from the palm of his hand. It missed Huntress by only a few inches as she jumped out of the way. Before he could shoot again, she used her own magic to pull an arrow from her quiver and shoot it at him. Unfortunately, he was able to get out of the way as well, just in time to avoid getting hit in the chest. Instead, the arrow hit the wall behind him.

What the guard failed to realize is that Huntress missed him on purpose. While he was distracted by the arrow itself, she ran forward as he moved out of its way and kneed him right in the gut, forcing him to drop down to his knees while groaning from the impact. It was all he could do to react before she kicked him across the head as well, knocking him down along with his already unconscious partner.

Huntress blew away of loose strand of her green hair that hung over her eye. The arrow that she shot flew back to her grasp as she raised her hand towards it, allowing her to place it back in its quiver.

Carefully, she kneeled down next to one of the guards and removed the yellow gem that covered his singular eye. If her hunch was right, she would need it if she was to have any chance of breaking Finn, Jake, and Ice King out of prison. There was little time to waste dragging the bodies to a secluded location, so she just left them on the street for someone else to deal with.

She began to climb back up to the rooftops, successfully avoiding the attention of any bystanders. For a moment, she wondered if she should have kept going. It was not too late to turn back. But she knew perfectly well that she would only feel guilty later.

It had been a long time since Huntress went anywhere near the prison. But if memory served well, it was located on the very edge of the city, near the stone walls that formed the crater hiding it from the outside world. She needed to go as far away from the main entrance as she could, which she was not find of at all, but continued to press on nevertheless.

Huntress always preferred to do things the old fashioned way. Meaning she never took a liking to learning the powers of flight. When she hunted, she wanted to use the trees to her advantage and use whatever elements nature gave her. Now, however, maybe flying would not have been such a bad idea, considering she decided to climb up the side of a tower in order to get a good bird's eye view of the prison.

Narrowly avoiding falling to her death when her legs slipped on the rocks several times, Huntress stood on top of the pyramid-like roof of the tower, where she could see right below the prison where they kept all enemies of Wizard City.

The guards were not lying when they said most of their band had been placed on guard duty around the structure. There were multiple sentries placed on the wall surrounding the courtyard, even though it was currently empty of any prisoners. The main building, a fortress of stone and metal bars for windows, with watchtowers on each corner of the roof, had a lot more spotlights than normal. Any wizard could easily break through stone, but Huntress knew this was different. While invisible, the prison was covered in all manner of wards to keep anyone from suing spells against the structure. Since it was backed against the canyon wall, one could only enter through the front. A trench had been dug around the structure, so the only way in for anyone who could not fly, like Huntress herself, was the bridge leading to the main entrance, guarded by two stone golems with spears as weapons.

Huntress knew she was taking a huge risk infiltrating such a place, but she still refused to turn back and run. If there was a way, she would find it.

Years of hunting had given her all of the senses she needed to properly scout the terrain. She scanned the area below for any point of entry with little resistance. Every guard position-at least on the outside-was clear to her. But even if she somehow found a weakness in the prison itself, there was the still the matter of bypassing security. However, perhaps there was little need to take the long way in.

Only one entrance seemed promising; a grate built into the building's wall underneath the main entrance's bridge. It was once used to allow passage of a river that went through the canyon, but it saw little use ever since the river became dry. Stone had been placed over it, but now the opportunity opened itself again with the trench being built. It was honestly shocking how no one thought about guarding it as well, but she did not argue.

Huntress was hating herself at this point. She had never been sentimental in her life, and yet here she was. On the brink of breaking into one of the most heavily guarded fortresses in Ooo for someone she only knew for a short while.

' _Finn, I don't know what you did to get the Grand Master Wizard angry, but you will owe me big time once I get you and your friends out of there.'_

Getting down from the tower was easier than climbing up it, if still a bit tedious. When Huntress reached ground level, she looked to make sure there was no one around to notice her. If Wizard City was anything, it was a den of people who spilled the secrets of others. Getting spotted breaking into a prison by anyone besides the guards would not bode well for her mission.

She used the alleys for cover, deciding that traveling along the rooftops while so close to the prison would make her easier to spot. There were a few wizards walking around here and there, but they just kept to their own business for the most part. After stopping and peeking her head around the corner of the street's end, all that stood between her and the prison's trench were about ten meters of empty land. If she was too slow, she would be spotted by the watchmen on the towers for sure. But if she managed to reach the trench, it would only be a matter of getting to the grate under the bridge and she would be in. But the window of time necessary to run would be seconds. And if she did manage it, there would be no turning back.

No, Huntress knew perfectly well that running would be the stupidest way to go about it. She needed something to get the guards' attention first. But with so many on watch, it would still be a gamble either way.

' _Not to mention I'd have to walk back out with three others on tow,'_ she though. _'I could…No, it won't work. I've barely tried it. And when I did, I messed up bad.'_

It was the only shot she had. One that she would have preferred not to use, but it was the only way she could see this working with minimal hitches. "Minimal" being the key word, since she highly doubted any of her actions would go unnoticed. In fact, once the two guards that she knocked out earlier woke up, she would be unable to show her face in Wizard City again for at least a few weeks, give or take. But, if it did go according to plan, maybe she could use the grate underneath the main bridge to get Finn, Jake, and Ice King out without actually having to go in herself.

Huntress sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose. _'Better than nothing. Might as well give it a shot.'_

At least if it went wrong, Huntress would not be near the prison when it happened. She started by taking a rock from the ground, not too big and not too small, that fitted perfectly in the palm of her hand. Then, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and concentrated as much as she could. But the rock remained the same when she opened her eyes a few seconds later. After repeating the process several times, she was met with the same result. However, as long as it took, she did not allow herself to become frustrated.

After losing count of how many attempts had gone by, Huntress finally felt the rock slightly shift in the palm of her hand. Her eyes opened in surprise; a few more minutes and she would have given up, but she managed.

The rock, which was as deformed as any other she saw along the floor, began to shift its very shape. Its rough edges began to smooth themselves out, like bones popping back into place after being dislodged. Huntress could only chuckle as it finally took its final shape: a perfect pelt-like sphere, with a surface so smooth that no one would be able to possibly tell it was once a rock to begin with. And to top it off, a light pink aurora now surrounded it, waving around with its bright luminescence.

Peeking her head around the corner again, Huntress prepared to fire the rock at one of the guards patrolling on the high wall utilizing the same propulsion spell she used for firing her arrows. It was a moving target, constantly going from side to side and only stopping for a brief moment when turning around to go the other way. But she had been able to shoot deer running faster than horses through trees. If anything, this was a cakewalk. Right when it seemed like the guard was going to turn around, Huntress shot the rock. It was not very fast traveling for it to actually kill him, but it was evident by his reaction to getting hit on the side of his head that it still hurt.

The pink aurora that surrounded the rock passed on to the guard, evident by the yellow gem on his head changing color. Then, in a weird turn of events that made Huntress lose her composure, she now found herself in the guard's shoes, looking at the world through his eye.

There was now a faint pink glow about the world. In fact, just about everything felt wrong besides the vision. She felt taller, heavier, a lot less balanced and composed, and disoriented beyond all belief. But it worked. Despite all of her initial doubts, it worked. Huntress was now controlling the guard's very mind and making him do her will.

"Nice," she said, feeling uncomfortable hearing a voice that was not her own. Nevertheless, she needed to act fast before anything went wrong and lost control. Out of all the times she tried telepathy, this was the first time it ever actually worked, but there was also a lot open to question about how long she could keep it up. "Okay, just find who you're looking for and get out. No sightseeing."

Another neat feature to telepathy was the ability to see into people's thoughts. Unfortunately, the guard did not seem to have any knowledge regarding Finn's exact location in the prison cells. It seemed like his only job was guarding the wall. Finding him was going to be a bit harder than imagined.

All that could be done at the moment was go inside and look around for any clues to his whereabouts. There was a door at the base of the watchtower at the end of the wall, which she used before anyone else could notice her strange behavior. Once inside, she found herself going down a circular flight of stairs ending in a long stone hallway. While one side had doors, the other had railings that allowed anyone to see out into the courtyard. The gate leading out was currently locked, but Huntress doubted she would even need to go out there.

After reaching the end of the hall, she went through another door. The entire place would have been a maze to her if it were not for the guard's mild knowledge of the general layout. And because of it, she was able to find herself in the prison's main cells.

It was a large room with two floors, each with a row of cells for the prisoners. Each was currently occupied by someone, but Huntress immediately shifted her gaze away after she made sure Finn and his friends were not in them. Luckily-or unfortunately-for her, all she needed to know where they were was the two guards posted in front of the cell at the very end of the room. And when she got to it, it was them.

The cell only consisted of two bunkbeds and a single toilet and drain. Finn was lying on one of the beds on top, and Jake right underneath him. Ice King was sitting on the edge of the lower bunk on the opposite end of the room, and on the bed above him was just another random prisoner she did not know; a raggedy old man with a puffy beard. All of them wore orange jumpsuits, and Jake in particular had a strange metal collar strapped around his neck.

' _Must be so he can't use his powers,'_ Huntress guessed.

"Hey," called out one of the guards while holding up his hand. "What are you doing here, Carl? You're post is elsewhere."

"I, uh…the boss gave me a bit of time off for now," Huntress replied. "I figured I'd come by to check how you guys were doing with the prisoners."

"Fine," the guard replied. "Hmm. Hey, Carl, what up with your gem?"

Huntress gulped. She forgot the gem was no longer yellow like all others. "Just…trying out something new."

"Huh, never took you for a fan of pink," said the other guard. "But hey, who am I to judge? Just make the boss doesn't see it. He's very strict about our uniforms."

"Yeah," responded the first guard. "Besides, pink is stupid."

The second guard raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with pink?"

"No, nothing. I'm just saying."

"No, you weren't 'just saying'. What did you mean by him liking pink?"

"I wasn't saying anything. I just think pink with our shade of skin color looks ridiculous."

"I'll have you know my grandma was buried in a pink dress!"

"Uh, guys?" Huntress tried to interrupt.

"What are you getting so worked up about, man?" asked the first guard. "I didn't know."

"Yes you did. You were there! Are you saying my grandma looked stupid?"

The first guard sighed. "Ugh, every day with this. You always get worked up over the most stupid of things."

"Oh, so now you're calling me stupid for liking pink?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Guys?" Huntress tried again.

"How dare you bash on my favorite color?!"

"I wasn't bashing on anything!"

"It sounded like you were! You think pink is stupid!"

"I could care less about any color!"

"Then what color do you like?!"

"I don't like any!"

"You have to like _some_ color!"

"Well I don't! It depends on the light. Sometimes I can be a bit colorblind, all right?!"

"That makes two of us," Finn said from within the cell. It turned out all of them were paying attention to the commotion.

"You know what, man?" the second guard unsheathed his wooden wand and threw it on the ground. "You can guard the prisoners on your own. I'm not having any of this. Until you appreciate the awesomeness of pink, we are through."

The first guard seemed to be trying to come up with further arguments, but instead just took his own wand and threw it on the ground as well. "You guard them, Carl!" And without another word, Huntress was left alone inside of a room filled with dozens of prisoners.

"Well that was awkward," said Jake from inside the cell.

Huntress walked forward and leaned against the metal bars. "Finn, you're okay."

"Yeah…" Finn replied, tilting his head in confusion. "Why would you even care?"

"It's me! Huntress Wizard!"

Everyone in the cell looked at each other confusingly before bursting out into laughter. "Y-you?!" Jake asked. "If you're Huntress Wizard, then that makes me the king of Sausage Land!"

"No, it's really me!" Huntress groaned. "Look, long story short, I'm actually standing outside the prison taking control of this guard's body. I can get you all out of here if you cooperate."

Finn jumped off from his bed and stood right in front of the cell. "Even if it really is you, what plan do you have to get us out of here?"

Huntress pulled out the wand sheathed on her belt and aimed it directly at Jake. Before the yellow dog could jump out of the way, he yelped as she shot a ray of energy that disintegrated the collar around his neck.

"We bust our way out," she replied.

Ice King chuckled. "She scared you good, Jake."

The canine mumbled in annoyance. Now able to use his powers, he stretched out his arms to large size and ripped apart the cell's bars.

"Good, now break through the ground underneath the toilet and sink," Huntress ordered.

"Ew, gross," Jake said in disgust.

"Just do it, bro," Finn said. "Quit being such a grump about everything."

Jake mumbled some more. "I'm not so grump…"

Stretching his fist to maximum size, Jake slammed the toilet into the ground. The hole created allowed the most gut wrenching smell possible to enter the cell, prompting everyone to nearly vomit.

"Okay, now crawl in there," Huntress said.

"Oh, come on, you're just messing with us right now," Ice King said.

"It'll lead you into the trench surrounding the prison, just under the main gate's bridge. If all goes well, I'll meet you outside."

"Meet?" Finn asked. "You're not coming?"

"I'm technically already out. I'll see you all on the other side."

Finn nodded. He allowed Jake to go through first, then he followed behind. Ice King however, stayed behind to talk to the fourth prisoner.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"I'm too old for such adventures," he replied. "I think I'm better off staying here."

Ice King seemed genuinely upset. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around the prisoner. "I'll never forget you, Honcho."

"My name is Bob," replied the prisoner.

"There, there, Honcho. You'll he okay without us."

"I hate you."

With no other words, Ice King released Bob and went down the hole along with Finn and Jake. Huntress, however, had to buy them the time they needed.

At the opposite end of the room, near the main entrance, was the lever that opened all cell doors in the prison. She ran to it and placed her hand on the handle, looking up at all of the prisoners in their cells.

"Time to start a riot!" she shouted.

All of the prisoners cheered as she pulled the lever and all the cells opened, allowing them to be free from their confined spaces. Before Huntress could see what else came from these events, she finally deactivated the telepathy spell and found herself once again in her own body, leaning against the same wall where she had left it before going in.

It did not take long for the sirens to begin going off in the prison. Soon, all guards on top of the walls and the golems guarding the main entrance went inside to deal with the escaped prisoners. However, as time went on, there was no sign of Finn, Jake, or Ice King anywhere. For a moment, she thought they failed to make it out in time, but that changed when she saw Ice King fly right out of the trench with a large Jake in tow as Finn rode on his back.

When all three of them reached her, smelling quite horrible, she asked, "What took you so long?"

"We had to make a quick stop," Finn replied. "Ice King wouldn't leave without his stuff."

"Hey man, this blue robe and crown is who I am," the ice wizard said. "I ain't letting no wizard police confiscate them."

"What about your stuff, Finn?" Huntress asked, noticing he still had his prison jumpsuit.

"Ah, I left all of my stuff at home. I'm only down a cheap wizard disguise."

She nodded in understanding. "Let's just hope you won't need to fight with just your fists. And you owe me a very good explanation as to why you were in prison."

"Thanks, Huntress," Finn said, forming a light smile on his face. "We owe you a lot more in the future."

"Don't mention it," Huntress replied, with no smile but appreciative of his words. "Let's go."

The group began to lengthen their distance from the prison, hearing the sirens and fighting fading away. They avoided the streets as much as possible while making their way out of Wizard City. And as they ran, or flew, Finn and Jake both laughed as they fist bumped.

"Home free, baby!" Jake said.

Unfortunately, Jake's days of jinxing things were not over.

Everyone looked up at the sky as a thundering sound filled the air. Despite there being no gray clouds, strikes of lighting spread across the sky, wrapping themselves all around Wizard City until they reached the floor, just outside the canyon that surrounded it. Then, a wall of energy formed in between the lighting, which ended up forming an enormous electrical dome barrier that covered the entire city.

"What's happening?!" Finn asked.

Before Huntress could answer, a large hologram of Grand Master Wizard's face appeared in the sky, looking down upon everything below.

"People of Wizard City!" he said; his voice boomed. "This is your ruler, the Grand Master Wizard. There has been a security breach in our correctional facility. Until the problem is dealt with, and every single prisoner has been brought back, _no one_ leaves or enters this city!"

GM's face disappeared as his message ended. Meanwhile, everyone just groaned in annoyance.

"Great," Jake said. "How are we supposed to get out of Wizard City with that barrier covering every way out?"

"Any ideas, Huntress?" Finn asked.

"Let me think," was her only response.

"Oh, oh!" Ice King said excitedly while raising his arm in the air, like a student wanting to answer a question. "What about Oldtown?"

"Absolutely not!" Huntress answered without any hesitation.

"What's Oldtown?" Finn asked.

Huntress placed both of her hands on her hips. "I only know what I've heard. Wizard City was built on top of the ruins of an older city. It was a lot larger, so chances are that it manages to go past the barrier. We'd have to go underground in order to get to it."

"Sounds good to me," Jake said. "What's the problem?"

Huntress sighed. "Wizard City is home to all manner of wizards. Wizards who spend the majority of their time making countless experiments. And most of the time, these experiments tend to go wrong in one way or another. Whatever spawns from these mistakes is thrown down there. In short, if we go to Oldtown, I have no idea what we could possibly find down there. I just don't wanna risk it."

"But there's no other way, is there?" Ice King pointed out.

Huntress thought for a few seconds. "No. Not that I know of."

Finn stepped off of Jake, allowing the dog to morph back to his original size. "Well then, Oldtown it is. Let's just hope there's nothing actually alive down there."

She was still hesitant, but Huntress saw no other alternative. Everyone stayed on her trail as she motioned for them to follow.

After sneaking around some more, using the alleys as cover from any patrols, they eventually reached a manhole in the middle of one of the roads. It was clear by the look of Ice King's face that he hated having to go into another horrible smelling place like this. Finn was the first to jump in, then Jake, then Ice King, and Huntress was last.

Once they closed the manhole cover, the group was left in complete darkness. At least until Huntress summoned a floating ball of green light that hovered just above her, lighting the way through the slimy and grimy sewers.

"Let's not waste any more time than we need to," she said, dreading the worst as she led everyone through the darkness.

* * *

 **Note: I would say that I'm pissed at Adventure Time for killing off Rattleballs in the season finale, but those of you who have been with me since the beginning know why that would be a bit ironic. So…moving on**

 **By the way, for those of you waiting on Sentinels, I promise it'll come back soon. Winter vacation is nearly here and then I'll have a lot more time to focus on finishing it while also working on this one. If it's any comfort, the ending is already written. Just a matter of getting there.**

 **-DRAGONNINJAMAN: Thanks. Will do.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: Supposedly...**

 **Next Chapter: The Dead City**


	10. Chapter 10: The Dead City

**Chapter 10: The Dead City**

"Crawled out of one hole, and into another."

Jake basically said what everyone else was currently thinking. Finn had to agree to some extent. Although, he much preferred walking along a dark sewer tunnel instead of being locked up in a prison cell. However, taking the risk of going through Oldtown after Huntress' warning made him question whether it really was the best choice or not. But she never seemed afraid of coming down here, only a bit indifferent. And as Finn walked beside her, she still showed no fear in her eyes, glowing as green as the orb that floated just above her head like a beacon.

It was evident at times that she knew little about the place they were currently in. In certain intersections, she would stop and think for a brief moment, indecisively pointing her finger one way only to then point it another. She also never spoke; the only sounds were the echoes of Ice King's and Jake's voices as they shared some witty remarks with each other to pass the time.

Huntress was, in a sense, still a complete mystery to Finn. Sure, they have been through several instances together, but never actually bonded through anything. Except maybe…their kiss. But he shrugged off the thought. From everything he could gather of her, she was just a lone survivor out in the wilds, never paying any mind to the needs of others. But that only brought up more questions. Why would she risk herself to save him from the clutches of the Wizard Police? What would she gain from it? Would she really have done it out of the kindness of her own heart? Finn highly doubted that was the case.

Still, there was no harm in actually asking. Especially since Jake and Ice King were too busy to care either way.

"Huntress?" Finn said to get the girls attention. She turned her eyes to him momentarily before turning them forward again.

"What is it?" she asked in response.

"Listen, why did you save us back there?

"A better question: why were you in prison to begin with?"

Finn guessed it was only fair to tell her. "Let's just say we got into a disagreement with the Grand Master Wizard. I had some business to take care of here in Wizard City and he didn't take to kindly to it."

"What kind of business?"

"You would call me crazy if I told you."

Huntress turned and her eyes met his. "Try me."

It was hard to tell how much more distance there was to walk but Finn figured he would tell her the story anyway. But no matter how much he said, Huntress' expression remained blank. There was no way of knowing what exactly she thought of it. And by the end, there was nothing but silence between the two for a short while. Even Jake and Ice King stopped their own conversation, so it was only the echoing of their footsteps.

"So…" Huntress began, "this 'Order of the Crow' had map leading to somewhere in the Desert of Doom, and now you plan to follow it. But for whatever reason, Grand Master Wizard doesn't want you to. And all of this happened…because you had a dream."

"Yeah, that's basically the gist of it," Finn replied.

"And what about the Order?"

"All dead, I think. Grand Master Wizard killed them by locking them away in their headquarters."

"And you got that mark on your hand from that weird wizard in the forest?"

Finn raised his hand and looked at the crow marking on the palm. "But I still don't know what it means. All I know is that when I placed my hand on the door leading to the Order's remains, it whispered 'Shadowed One'. What do you think that means?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," she responded. "I've never heard of anything like it before."

There was another brief moment of silence before Finn spoke again. "So, you mind telling me why you risked yourself saving us from jail now?"

Huntress slightly opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. There was some stuttering, but before she could say anything, Jake spoke from behind. "Hey, what's that?"

He was referring to another manhole cover in the center of another intersection, leading even further down. Finn knelt to remove it, and Jake helped as well. If the tunnel they were currently in was dark, this was a whole new level. There was nothing that could be inside, only the top bars of the ladder that allowed them descend. Not even the glowing orb above Huntress could provide the proper lighting needed to see what awaited below. All they could do was start climbing and hope what awaited below was more solid ground.

As the only one with a source of light, Huntress went down first despite Finn offering to go himself. He went in second, then Jake, and then Ice King simply floated down rather than using the ladder. A splash of water could be heard as Huntress managed to reach the bottom, and the light made the terrain that much easier to make out.

Unlike the area above, which was a simple sewer, they now found themselves in some sort of rocky tunnel. The entire thing seemed like it had been dug in a hurry, with all of the walls appearing misshapen and the wooden beams that kept the roof from collapsing seeming like they were about to collapse themselves. Everyone was afraid that if they even so much as touched anything other than the ground, they would be buried alive underneath hundreds of pounds of rocks and boulders. It also did not help that Huntress' light only illuminated so much, so it was impossible to tell what awaited further in.

Jake seemed the most nervous of all. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he said. "Would there be any way for us to shut down the barrier surrounding Wizard City instead of having to come down here?"

"The barrier was activated by the Grand Master Wizard himself," Huntress replied. "Unless you have as much knowledge of magic as the ruler of all wizards, this is the only way we're ever getting out. Otherwise, it's back to jail for all of us."

Jake groaned but never spoke another word.

Luckily, the tunnel never had any branching paths, so it was just a matter of walking forward with no chance of actually getting lost. That being said, the tunnel still sent a feeling of uneasiness through everyone. Maybe it was the lighting of the beacon, the lack of any wind, or the fact that it was cramped, but it felt like they were inevitably walking straight to danger. As if the tunnel itself was actually the maw of some beast and they were being swallowed alive. Needless to say, the sooner they got out, the better. But it provided little comfort when the tunnel formed a sharp turn, making it feel like they were making little progress every time they went in the same direction they came from.

Fortunately, the unpleasant experience seemed to finally be nearing its end. The tunnel ended with a wooden plank covering the exit. It was very clear that it had been built decades prior given how rotten certain sections of the wood looked, and some pieces were just missing altogether. There was still not enough to light to tell what was on the other side, but there was no doubt it was a way out of the cramped space judging by the lack of any rocky walls and the slight breeze coming through the cracks in the wood. All it took was a single punch from Jake's large hand to break it down.

Unlike the dirt floor of the tunnel, the group's footsteps now slightly echoed against stone. The ground was decorated with tiles, which seemed to be a mixture of light red and blue if one focused their vision enough. Some chunks of the ground were gone, causing Finn, Jake, and Huntress to sometimes lose their balance or nearly fall when tripped. And while they did not have to worry about suffocating in a tunnel any longer, the lack of light was still a problem. There was no way of seeing anything four feet in front of them.

"Yo Huntress, can't that light shine any brighter?" Finn asked.

"There's only so much the color green can illuminate," she replied.

Finn, Jake, and Ice King stopped when they noticed Huntress had stopped walking beside them. When they turned to see what was keeping her, they saw her trying to pull something out of her pocket; something big from how much she seemed to be struggling.

"What are you doing?" Jake was the first to ask.

"I have an idea," she replied. With a sigh, she managed to pull out what appeared to be one of the yellow gems that the wizard police grunts always had over their eyes.

"Where'd you get that?" Ice King asked.

"I borrowed it. If this works, we might have some actual light in here. It's gonna get dark for a moment…"

And indeed it did. When Huntress turned off her green beacon, everyone felt as if they had gone completely blind. Luckily enough, it only lasted a few seconds before the gem began to radiate in Huntress' hand.

Having the light come back in such a dark place, even if it was gone only for a brief moment, was like seeing the sun rising in the morning. For a moment, it seemed as though the faint yellow light was actually worse than before, but that was only the case until Huntress threw the gem upwards into the air. After getting the starting push it needed, the gem flew up on its own, now appearing like a single star in the night sky. But after it reached the highest level it could, everyone saw they were still far from laying eyes on the actual sky.

The gem lit up like a flare, giving light to everything around them. It was like seeing the fires of Beautopia being lit all over again. It was actually rather similar considering that, like Beautopia, all that stood around them was nothing but the remains of a once great city; where all buildings were now crumbling and abandoned due to the passage of time.

Every window was broken, every wall made using the front door unnecessary, and anything that might have led the group to believe that this place was once lived in was gone. When looking up, all that could be seen aside from the bright yellow light coming from the floating gem was the roof of the enormous cavern that housed the city. And it took no time at all for them to realize that they were in Oldtown, now nothing but a dead city.

"Whoa…so this is Oldtown, huh?" Jake wondered.

"What's left of it," Huntress replied. "After all of the stories I've heard wizards tell each other about this place, I'm surprised the buildings are still standing. Well most of them, anyway."

Ice King scoffed while crossing his arms. "It's a dump."

"Dump or not, it's our only way out," Finn said. He turned to face Huntress. "Do you know how we get out of here?"

There was a brief moment of silence as the wizard gathered her thoughts. "I only know anything about this place from what I've been told and what I've read, but if any of it is to be believed, this place was once home to an old mine. It was picked clean of all gold deposits, and they were able to dig all the way through the canyon. Hopefully, that means there's another way out aside from the way we came. We find the mine, and we might be able to make it out of the wizard police's jurisdiction."

Finn nodded then turned to Ice King. "What about you, Ice King? You were the one who suggested we come down here. Anything useful that you can tell us?"

"I've never been down here myself, but one time when I was spying on a meeting of a club I wanted to join, I overheard that one of the requisites for joining was spending an entire night in here. After spying for days, not even half of the newcomers made it back. But during those days of spying, I realized how boring those guys were, so I never actually tried it."

"So we're basically going in blind," Jake said.

"Yep," Finn replied. "But come on, man. We've been through worse before."

"I wouldn't speak so soon…" Huntress mumbled.

With everyone eager to get back to the surface as soon as possible, they wasted no more time talking and began their trek across Oldtown.

The architecture for each building appeared similar to the ones in Wizard City, minus the fact that almost all of them were made of cobblestone rather than cement. It mattered little at this point, however, with how decrepit all of them were now. They could serve as temporary shelters, but no one would ever risk spending more than a few hours inside of them for fear of them collapsing. If there were any sort of way for wind to blow inside the caverns, there was no doubt in anyone minds that the city would be nothing more than a pile of rubble before long. But most of all, everyone just hoped it was completely empty.

But the question remained; how did Oldtown even reach this state? Since it was all underneath a cavern, Finn found it unlikely that it was destroyed during the great explosion of the mushroom bombs hundreds of years ago. Even more of a mystery was how Wizard City managed to escape caving in on itself above the shallow surface of the cavern's roof. Some sort of ward? It would not be surprising seeing as how the city has stood for so long without a single crack underneath its surface. Especially with how much dangerous magic is used on a daily basis.

Finn stopped himself from wondering about so many possibilities. Once he and his friends were out, none of it would matter. If anything, what awaited them _after_ escaping is what should be his top priority.

Although, there was really not much to consider since most of the facts to go on were very vague. If the place he saw in his dream was the place where he needed to go, then it was doubtful that the Desert of Doom would be his last destination. And it was this fact that made him wonder if Jake and Ice King should really be a part of it. Maybe he should just tackle the rest of the journey on his own once they were out of Oldtown. But this would have to be a topic of discussion for later.

The human came to a stop as a noise reached his ear. It was a bit difficult to pin-point its exact location, but he knew for a fact it came from inside one of the buildings to his left; the sound of something metal-like a can-hitting the floor. Finn would have brushed it off as nothing, except that the sound happened twice in a row.

Everyone else in the group seemed to have not heard the noise because they continued walking ahead. The human was about to join them, but then there was another sound coming from the same building. Only this time, it was a voice.

" _Help…me…"_

It was the voice of a child, though it was hard to tell if it was a girl or a boy. Either way, the weakness of it made it obvious that whoever was calling for help was not doing very well. Wanting to investigate, Finn decided that he would catch up with the rest of the group later. He knew they would never leave without him.

Based on the overall layout of the two-story building, it was once some sort of shop. As Finn entered through what was once a glass door, now shattered along with all the windows, all that was left was empty rows of wooden shelves scattered about in the darkness. The glass from the windows was scattered across the floor, making Finn wince every time he accidentally stepped on a piece. But from just the entryway, there was no way of seeing where the call for help came from. There was not enough light to see further inside.

"Hello?" Finn asked in a whisper, hoping for some sort of answer. That answer came in the form of another call.

" _Help…meeeee…"_

This time, Finn could more or less pin-point the direction of the voice from somewhere further in the back. He took it slow so that his eyes had time to adjust to the darkness. The light of the beacon that lit up the outside was not enough to shine the entire store. And it only got harder to see the further in he went, and with every step the human took, the wooden floor creaked, and the silent whimper of a crying child hit his ears. He wished he had his sword with him right now, but all he could settle for was a lengthy steel pipe he found lying on the floor. If anything tried jumping out at him from the shadows, he would at least have something to give him the upper hand.

After reaching the end of the store, Finn immediately took a right. It was hard to tell on account of the darkness, but he could swear the outline of a little girl kneeling on the ground was only a few feet in front of him.

From what little illumination there was, he could make out the light pinkish color of her dress, along with the blue bow tied to her black hair to form a ponytail. Long tattered white socks covered her legs, but she was wearing no shoes. Since she had her back turned to him, Finn could not tell what exactly she was holding in her hands.

"Little girl?" he asked, taking a few steps forward. "Are you okay?"

As if things were not confusing enough, Finn noticed as he reached out to her with his left arm that the crow marking on the back of his hand was now slightly glowing purple, and it only got brighter the closer he moved to her. It got to the point where the light emanating from it was enough to light up the room a few feet around him.

"What the…"

Before the human could finish his thought, several dust pellets fell on his shoulder from above, and then more fell right in front of his face and hit the ground in front of him. When he looked up, he only had a few seconds to make out the strange creature hanging from the ceiling.

Based on what the purple light of the marking allowed Finn to see, its black skin was bulbous and moist. Its hands and feet all had sharp claws, which allowed it to remain on the ceiling like a spider, and move around like one too despite only having four limbs. There were no eyes present on what was left of its face; only a mouth filled with sharp teeth glistening with the saliva left behind by its long tongue. And when it realized it had been spotted, it hissed at Finn before jumping down and landing right on top of him.

Before the creature was able to bite down on him, Finn used the pipe he had grabbed from the ground and held it up horizontally, making its teeth lodge themselves on the metal instead. Several streams of its saliva landed on his cheek as it furiously tried to sink its teeth into his flesh. And while he managed to avoid being eaten, the pipe did not stop it from clawing away at his torso.

Using whatever strength the human had left, he pushed the creature away and managed to hit it across the head with the pipe before it had a chance to come down on him again. As it screeched and regained its balance from the hit, Finn stood from the ground and regained his own composure. But the moment of regaining his bearings was cut short when he felt the sharp pain of a blade piercing his skin on his right thigh.

He took a knee as he held on to the handle of the knife lodged into his skin. And standing next to him was the very same girl who was kneeling before him earlier, still crying. However, the tears that ran down her cheek were as black as ink, and there were no eyes that Finn could see. Only two black voids staring back at him, as if someone had forcibly cut them out. Now able to see her clothing from much closer, the fabric was mostly tattered and ripped apart. But whether it was done by hand or by blade, Finn could not tell.

"Help…me…" said the girl.

Finn had no time to analyze the situation before the other creature was once again attempting to attack him. Luckily, he was able to get out of the way just in time to avoid being bitten, but the knife still stuck in his thigh made it difficult to maneuver.

"Sorry…" said a strange male voice.

With more ground between him and the creature, Finn was able to see that the creature did have eyes after all, and another mouth. In fact, it had another face altogether on the side of its head.

"I can't control it," the face said in a pained voice. "Please…kill me…"

Finn was on the edge of vomiting right then and there, but the creature charged forward before he had a chance to do so. He swung the pipe and hit it right across its head, making it fly across the room and knock over some of the empty shelves. The human used the opportunity to run out of the store before it could get back up, but it was not long before he could hear it recover and immediately start running towards him.

Just as the main doorway was within reach, the creature launched itself forward and tackled him to the ground outside. If the angle had been just a bit different, the knife stuck on his thigh would have been driven even deeper. And while that was fortunately not the case, a large wave of pain was still ever present all across his body. A pain that made fending off the creature nearly impossible and allowed it to once again pin him to the ground in an attempt to sink its teeth into his flesh. But like before, the pipe kept it at bay.

"I don't want to do this," said the face on the side of the creature's head. "Its actions are not my own. Please forgive me…"

The pipe could only hold out so much longer, and Finn could already notice it beginning to break under the constant biting it was receiving. However, in a stroke of good luck, the creature fell to the ground beside him as an arrow pierced its side. And the shooter was none other than Huntress Wizard, with Jake and Ice King at her side.

Ice King flew by and picked the human off the ground, carrying him a safe distance away so that Jake could use his giant fist to smash the creature against the ground, forming a large crater where the force of the hit was strongest. And from the impact, gushes of black ink-like blood splattered across the street, making the dog groan in disgust as he shook away the mess from his now small again paw.

"Finn!" the dog shouted as Ice King placed him back on the ground.

The human winced as his legs failed and he fell down. His wincing turned into screams of pain, however, when Huntress walked up to him and pulled the knife out without warning. Fortunately, the pain only lasted less than a few seconds before she began to use a healing spell on the wound, making close completely and prevent any further loss of blood. It did not stop the pain on his chest from being clawed away by the creature, but at least he would not be dying from bleeding out any time soon.

Sighing in relief, Finn pushed himself up to his knees. "Thanks, Huntress."

Unexpectedly, the only response he got from her was a punch right across the face. "What were you thinking, you idiot?!" she shouted as he tried to get back up from the ground. "Why would you separate yourself from the group like that? You nearly got killed!"

"Yo, let's just take this easy…" Ice King said. "Boyfriend and girlfriend should not-"

Ice King yelped as Huntress levitated an arrow just inches away from his eye.

"You better stop that sentence right there," she said. "We're in a dangerous place right now, and having someone stray from the group without letting the rest know will just make things worse."

"I'm sorry," Finn said as Jake helped him off the ground. "I didn't mean to worry you guys, it's just…there's was something in there…"

"We already killed it, though," Jake replied. "That's what's important."

"No, not that. It's-"

Before the human could finish his thought, the group turned their attention coming from inside the store he had entered before. And lurking from the shadows came the very same girl who had stabbed him in the first place.

"Woah! What is wrong with her?!" Ice King exclaimed.

The girl pointed her had in their direction, looking directly at them with the black voids where her eyes once were.

"Help…me…" she said weakly. "Mommy…Daddy…"

"Uh, Finn, what's going on?" Jake asked while taking several steps back.

Finn had no time to reply as a soul piercing screech escaped the girl's mouth, so loud that it echoed across the entire city and forced the group to cover their ears. It lasted roughly over ten seconds before coming to a stop, leaving everything in complete silence once again. For a while longer, at least.

From every direction, and from inside every single building, hundreds of the same creatures that attacked Finn began to pour out to heed the girl's call. They crawled on the walls on all fours like hordes of bugs and made their way down the walls until reaching the streets. No matter which direction they looked, all routes seemed to have been blocked off by them. Every street and every alley that could have served as an escape route.

The group found themselves with their backs against each other, surrounded on all sides by the bloodthirsty monsters. All of them were twisted in their own sick way, but one thing that they all had in common was the voices of the people they once were, pleading to be put out of their misery. Men and women alike.

" _Help us…"_

" _Please, just end it all…"_

" _It hurts…"_

The voices could be heard in the hundreds. But one thing was for sure: none of them would be kind enough to let the group escape.

"Uh, guys?" Ice King said in a whimper. "What do we do?"

There was no time for anyone to answer. Not before the entire bloodthirsty horde dashed forward all at once.

* * *

 **Note: Inspired and brought to you by one of the first games I ever played as a child: Silent Hill. (I turned out fine.)**

 **-Fiery Crusader: They certainly do.**

 **Next Chapter: Hired Help**


	11. Chapter 11: Hired Help

**Chapter 11: Hired Help**

"Repeat back to me what I just told you," Flame Princess ordered her brother, Flint.

The elemental sighed at his sister's persistence. "I will _not_ blow up the Candy Kingdom in your absence."

"Or…" Flame Princess urged.

"Or any other kingdom, for that matter," Flint added.

"Good. Wildberry Kingdom isn't too far from here, so I'll only be gone for a few hours, give or take. If things go awry with, I might actually be gone all day. I'm putting a lot of faith in you, Flint. Don't let me down."

"I won't, sister. The Fire Kingdom will be the same as you left it when you come back. You have my word."

After Flame Princess was done conversing with her brother, she turned to face her suitor, Blayze, who was waiting by her carriage near the kingdom's main gate. She lifted herself up slightly to kiss him, then made sure Flint was no longer within hearing distance.

"Keep an eye on him," Flame Princess whispered in his ear. "I don't doubt my brother's promise but sometimes he can get a bit carried away with the troops."

"Isn't his job to toughen them up?" Blayze wondered.

"Yes, but not by sneaking a bottle of water into the kingdom and pouring some over a recruit's arm."

Blayze winced. "Ouch. Has it always been like that?"

"It was how my father did it, and Flint has always followed in his footsteps, even to this day. However, he doesn't seem to have noticed that things in Fire Kingdom work a bit differently now." She sighed. "I swear, sometimes working with my own family is just as exhausting as working on the kingdom itself. It really starts to weigh down on you."

"I know you mean well, Phoebe, but I don't think you should be pushing yourself too much."

Flame Princess smiled. "Well, today is the day that _you_ are in charge."

Blayze was taken back. "Me? But…we've only been together for a few months. Are you sure you already trust me with handling things around here?"

"If you're gonna be ruling beside me one day, you may as well start getting used to it. Since I won't be long, I figured this would be the best opportunity to start learning the ropes. After all, part of the reason I chose you was because of your ability to keep a cool mind no matter the situation. Something that I can't say for almost everyone else who lives in Fire Kingdom. So yes, you have the throne for now."

"Flint won't take kindly to that."

"I already told him last night. He was…not too happy. A few punches on the walls here and there, some cursing, but he won't do anything drastic today; I made sure of that. He may have a temper, but even he knows when he's going too far. Except for the water stuff. In any case, take this chance to also try and get along with him. And who knows; maybe you can take the chance to call Finn over as well and chat things up with him while you're at it. He might be able to help with those pesky lava nymphs that have been causing trouble."

"I don't think Finn the Human would want to come to Fire Kingdom just to interact. Especially with me."

"Like I said before, give it time. Trust me, I think you'll find the two of you have a lot more in common than you might think."

Despite still being a bit unsure, Blayze figured she was right. He needed to prove that he could be a good enough leader for when the day came that he would rule for good, and having the Hero of Ooo on his good side would be great first step. Just the thought of it made him anxious, and also nervous. But he kept reminding himself he had been shadowing Flame Princess to see how she worked.

He kissed Flame Princess again and smiled as convincingly as he could. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of the citizens for you. Enjoy Princess Day."

Flame Princess smiled back before going into her carriage along with her pastry guardian, Cinnamon Bun. After Blayze closed the door for her, the driver urged the horses forward, and he watched as the kingdom's massive gates shut with her departure.

Having no more reason to stay outside, Blayze made his way back to the palace. He waved and said hello to several people walking past him. It put him at ease knowing that he was at least in good terms with the populace. It was not very surprising, seeing as how he had never wronged anyone in his life. But he knew that would be changing soon. Like it or not, being the new king of Fire Kingdom would no doubt give him enemies as well. In fact, he was sure Flint already hated even looking at him. Blayze noticed it every time the two made eye contact. And it was no different when he entered the palace and found him waiting next to the throne.

There were some people standing in line waiting for him to arrive. Flame Princess had told him about this as well. Trying to come up with the best solutions for the problems of the people was hard task, and it only got increasingly tiring as the day progressed. But he was not afraid. For Flame Princess, and the good of the kingdom, would push through it no matter what.

He was hesitant at first, but Blayze stepped up and sat himself upon the throne of Fire Kingdom. It was the first time he had ever done so, and he only thought it would come on the day he was crowned king, if the day even arrived; he always had his doubts whether or not he would even make it this far.

It felt…strange. It was only a chair, but he felt like he was sitting on the most important chair in the entire land. Which was weird considering that due to its rocky surface, it was not really that comfortable. Now he understood Flame Princess' discomfort every time she finished for a day.

"Don't get used to it," Flint said from his spot next to the throne. "Chances are still there that my sister will realize she doesn't need you as a suitor."

Blayze shifted on the throne. "Why do you hate me?"

Flint turned his head to face him. "I won't lie, as is custom in this land, I don't trust anyone who asks for Phoebe's hand. Especially after the practical insult to the very fire elemental race when she formed a relationship with that human. My father thought he was a tyrant, but after a while, I've come to realize just how much of a weakling he is."

"Finn is not weak," Blayze countered. "You don't earn the title of 'Hero of Ooo' for being weak."

"I'm not saying he is weak of strength, mind you. I'm saying he is weak of any kind of sense. You know why? Because when everyone in Ooo starts to shower you with respect when you're merely a child, you begin thinking that you can get away with anything. That's what has happened to the human. He may work for the betterment of all, but he doesn't think about what the consequences could be. And someone who makes decisions on the fly doesn't always make the best ones."

"And yet he still lives and Ooo is in a state of peace. I won't deny your points, but I don't really believe Finn is incompetent. In fact, if you wanna see for yourself, why don't you send a courier to invite him here? Maybe have a little chat."

Flint immediately appeared insulted. "Invite that human here?!"

"Yes," replied Blayze while holding his ground. "Unless you need to be reminded that you are to do as I say until Flame Princess returns. I understand you wanting to disobey me, but would you disobey your sister?"

Blayze knew talking to Flint in such a manner would only anger the elemental further, but he understood it had to be done. He had lived his entire life being nice, and if he actually planned on being a good king and appeasing Flame Princess, he needed to show strength to those around him, even if it meant making some enemies.

Despite expecting Flint to continue ranting, the elemental simply took a deep breath and responded as nicely as he could. "I will see that it gets done. But right now, focus on dealing with the citizens, _my lord_."

There was no denying he hated every word coming out of his mouth. Nevertheless, Flint remained calm and said no other word. Once the discussion was over, Blayze ordered for the first pedestrian to step forward, and his first day of ruling began.

* * *

"What time is it?" Blayze asked, yawning.

Flint looked at his watch and replied, "Almost three o' clock. Still some hours left before the day is done."

Blayze groaned silently and rested his head against his hand. It had been the longest day of his life. Most of the morning and afternoon sitting down and attending to all citizens that showered him with endless requests. Not to mention constant words from his advisors of the problems plaguing the kingdom outside. Choosing whether to execute or imprison someone who robbed a store, managing the stores of coal, and making sure there was enough food to feed the dragons in their stalls before they went on a hunger induced rampage. And to top it all off, his back ached beyond all reason from sitting down for such a large amount of time.

He was absolutely mesmerized as to how Flame Princess could go through this entire process every single day. It was no wonder why she had finally decided to look for a suitor. Doing all of this work alone would drive anyone to the brink, and it was shocking how she managed to do it for so long.

Luckily, there were no more citizens to attend for now. This was one of the very few short moments of peace Blayze had gotten throughout the day. Even more so with the fact that Finn could not be able to come.

When the courier that was assigned to invite him returned, he said a small little computer answered the door to his house and told him that the human and his dog companion had left days ago to run several errands. Flint seemed rather relieved, and while Blayze was a bit upset that his day of interacting with him was yet to come, he could understand it completely. It was to be expected that he was probably needed to handle something elsewhere.

"Flint?" Blayze asked to get his attention. "I know you don't like me, but try to be as honest as possible. How have I been doing so far?"

Flint thought for moment. "Well, a few hitches here and there. But otherwise, not bad for being the hired help."

Blayze was surprised. He thought for sure Flint would tell him he was doing horribly just to get rid of him. Then again, he should have known better from someone who unquestionably follows his sister's commands. And no matter what, he would never break her total honesty rule.

"Sir," said a guard that had walked up to the throne to speak with Flint. Blayze had not noticed him until he spoke.

"Yes, soldier?" Flint asked in return.

The guard seemed nervous, and the spear he held was slightly shaking. "There's…the Blackbell Knights request an audience."

Blayze had no idea what he was talking about, but Flint seemed suddenly angry.

"Them again?!" the elemental exclaimed.

"Who are the Blackbell Knights?" Blayze asked.

"A mercenary group composed of fire elementals that's hold up in an old fort, located just outside the Fire Kingdom's walls," Flint explained. "They'll take any contract, be it assigned from another fire elemental or not. They are ruthless, good fighters, and very organized. While they don't relatively cause trouble for us, that kind of force so close to our borders is enough to make everyone uneasy. The only reason we haven't been able to deal with them is because, since they are not actually in the Fire Kingdom, it's out of our jurisdiction."

"Why do you think they're here?"

"I don't know. But whatever they want, it can't be good." Flint turned to face the guard. "Go out there and tell them the princess is not here to attend to them right now."

"But sir…" the guard pointed in Blayze's direction, "they asked to gain an audience with him specifically."

Blayze was afraid that was the case. Nevertheless, he figured turning them away would only cause more problems than solutions.

"Send them in," Blayze ordered.

The guard bowed his head and went on to do as he was commanded. When he and another guard opened the front gate of the palace, however, both of them were suddenly pushed inward when the gate was opened from the outside.

' _So much for being patient,'_ Blayze thought.

Metal clanging could be heard across the entire throne room as the warriors clad in black armor marched towards the throne. There had to have been around twenty at least, but Blayze figured there was more to this force that he was yet to see. Their shoulder guards were layered with sharp spikes, as well as the knuckles on their gauntlets; their helmets that covered their entire faces were carved with wings on the side; each one carried a spear in their right hand and shield in their left, while also having a sword sheathed on their hips; and the symbol embedded on each shield were a pair of black wings, but there was no actual bird attached to them. The same symbol was on the crimson red flags that some of them carried.

Who Blayze assumed was their leader was walking in front of the rest. He was wearing armor that matched the same design as the rest, but it was bulkier. A cape the same color as their flags hung from his back. While the others carried swords, he carried a spiked mace on his hip. The weapon appeared to be made from obsidian, and shined beautifully when the light hit it just right. And since he was the only one not wearing a helmet, his face was visible; a man whose entire upper body was built like a bull's, and whose face had been permanently extinguished on his right side, leaving nothing but what seemed like a cracking rock.

He raised his hand and all the soldiers behind him came to a sudden halt. When he smiled, Blayze felt a light chill go down his spine. Something very rare for a fire elemental. And it caused Flint to place a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Good evening," said the man. His voice was rough and boomed through the hall. "My name is Igneous, First Sargent for the Blackbell Knights." He bowed respectfully, which Blayze found odd. "'Tis a pleasure."

Blayze studied him a bit further, and the rest of the knights, before clearing his throat. "How may I help you, sir?"

Igneous stood straight. "I understand you are the suitor for the princess of flames, correct? Whom I might call 'King' in the future. And I also assume you are in charge in her majesty's absence."

Blayze stood from the throne, preferring to be standing. "You are correct. Now, what is your business here?"

"We are simply here to make a proposal. One that I think can benefit us and this kingdom greatly. You see, the Fire Kingdom is known for having the strongest army in all of Ooo, but what will you do when all other kingdoms find out that this is not in fact the case?"

"WHAT?!" Flint yelled, enraged. "You question the strength of our men?!"

"I don't question that they are indeed good fighters, but they could be so much more. When it comes to the Blackbell Knights, however, every single one of us is worth five of your average flame guard. I am here to negotiate a pact between the Blackbell Knights and the rulers of Fire Kingdom. That simple?"

"Simple?" Blayze wondered. "Then what exactly do you ask in return, I wonder."

Igneous' smile widened even more. "The boy is smart! Our terms are simple. We provide you with the protection your own guards can't offer, and in return, we want to establish a foothold here inside the kingdom, and be anointed as real knights in your service."

"I've heard a lot about you guys, but what will make us believe your men are really as good as you say?" Flint wondered.

Rather than responding, Igneous turned to his men and snapped his fingers. One of them parted from the rest of the group and walked forward, handing him a small bottle filled with water. The same soldier that handed it to him removed one of his gauntlets, exposing his fiery hand. Igneous opened the bottle and then grabbed his hand. And before Blayze or Flint could say anything, he poured the entire bottle on top of his arm.

They expected to hear him scream in pain. Instead, there was not a single whimper or a flinch. The soldier kept his composure even as part of his arm was extinguished. After the bottle was empty, Igneous handed it back to the soldier, who then put his gauntlet back on and went back to his original position like nothing happened.

Blayze was impressed to say the least. Even a single drop of water was enough to make most elementals take a few steps back, but this one random soldier handled it unlike anything he had ever seen before.

"This is our power," Igneous said, facing Blayze once more. "The Blackbell Knights know no pain, no cowardice, and no disobedience." He slammed his fist against his chest proudly. "We fight to the very end with the desire for glory, ever present in our hearts! We move like star fire in the night as we march forward towards our ultimate victory! And everyone learns to step aside as we roar into the sky, _For the Immortal Light!_ "

As Igneous said this, all other soldiers raised their spears in the ear and began to chant the same line. They only stopped when Igneous raised his hand once more, and the entire room fell silent.

"We offer you the greatest fighting force Ooo has to offer," he continued. "And if you accept, the Fire Kingdom will truly be a force to be reckoned with, no doubt about it."

Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on Blayze. The elemental thought for a moment, analyzing everything he had just heard. _'These guys are no joke. But then again, I don't think our kingdom has the necessary resources to meet the needs of their men aside from our own. Besides, I don't think I should be making a decision as big as this one just yet. It isn't right.'_

Taking all of this into account, he stood straight and looked at Igneous straight in the eye. "I'm sorry. But while your offer is rather tempting, I think we will be fine on our own for now. Why don't you come back when Flame Princess is here? Maybe she can be of a more reasoning nature than I am. After all, I'm not king. Not yet."

It was obvious Igneous didn't like the answer. "That really is a shame. And here I was thinking you were smart. Pfft, 'the next king'. Ha!"

"You will learn to watch your tongue in this hall!" Flint shouted.

"I haven't had a good fight in a while," Igneous responded. "Why don't you show me what your salt is worth, candle match!"

Just as Flint was about to draw his sword, Blayze stopped him. "Flint, no! There's no need for this."

"Indeed, there is not," said an unfamiliar female voice far back in the room.

The Blackbell Knights moved to the sides in unison to let whoever had spoken pass.

The woman was another elemental, made certain by her forearms and the area around her bright red eyes. Her head was covered with a hood, a mask covered her mouth, and she wore a black tunic. The symbol for the Blackbell Knights was sewn into one of her shoulder pads around a crimson circle to make it indistinguishable from the black leather. The only thing close to a weapon that she possessed was what appeared to be a small metal tube sheathed in her hip. But it was not just any tube. This one shined like freshly polished silver, and had engravings of waving flames on its smooth surface. As beautiful as it was, Blayze failed to see what its purpose would even be, let alone how she would harm anyone with it.

"Supreme General!" Igneous said, sounding surprised. "I…I didn't expect you would be present for the negotiation."

She chuckled. "I thought I'd drop by to see how it was going. But it seems I still can't let you do anything without me being there to help, Igneous."

"And just who might you be?" Blayze asked, interrupting their conversation.

"Ah, yes, where are my manners?" she replied. "My name is Candice. Supreme General of the Blackbell Knights, as was previously stated."

Blayze nodded. "Well, _Supreme General_ , would you kindly tell you man here to show some more respect?"

"Oh, don't worry about him. His temper is a beast that cannot be put down, I'm afraid. Only dazed." She clapped her hands together. "Now, am to understand you are Blayze? The one set to marry Flame Princess?"

"I am."

"Ooh, quite handsome as well I should say. In any rate, I just want you to know the Blackbell Knights only care about the well being of the fire people. And while I do understand your hesitation to accept our offer, we do not wish to push you into making your choice immediately. By all means, you may have the time necessary to do so."

"Thank you," Blayze replied.

"However, I do suggest you don't take too long."

"What do you mean?" Flint asked.

"The land is ever changing, my dear. One year can be peaceful, one year can be a time of hunger, and another can be full of sickness. The people are living a happy life, but it cannot last forever. Soon, the world will change once more. And it will be the biggest change anyone has ever seen. Our scholars have predicted it, and they are never wrong."

"What are you saying?" Blayze asked. "What is this change?"

"The ancient prophecy: _Through the art of dreams, the Shadowed One will bring paradise to all. And you will know of his greatness by the mark of the Great Crow._ "

"What does that even mean?" Blayze urged.

"Oh, you needn't worry too much, my dear. All you need to know is that you will be happy we were around when the time arrives. And hear me, the time is fast approaching. But for now, we take our leave."

Candice whistled and all of her soldiers turned to leave at once. Igneous walked behind them, giving one last glare to Blayze before turning and leaving. And when Candice reached the edge of the door, she also stopped and turned her own gaze to the throne. And without another word, she was gone, and the palace's doors were closed.

Blayze sighed as he sat back down on the throne, glad that the entire ordeal had been resolved before things got hairy.

"Can you believe the nerve of those guys?" Flint said. "Coming in here and telling us how our soldiers are weak. Bah! We don't need them inside our walls."

"You know they'll be back," Blayze reminded him. "I only talked to them for a brief while, but I don't think they're the kind to take 'no' for an answer lightly. This isn't the last we've seen of them, I assure you."

"Let them come. I'll show them just how much they underestimate the might of our army. And I will drive my own sword through the leader's heart if I have to." There was moment of silence afterwards, but then Flint continued. "You know, as much as I hate to admit it, you handled the situation pretty well. Here was me on the brink of drawing my sword out of anger and you kept calm the entire time. I'd say that's one good sign of a good king."

Blayze smiled. "Thanks. But the day isn't done yet. What else do we have?"

* * *

As the sun finally began to set, Blayze breathed a sigh of relief as Flame Princess came back from her trip. Cinnamon Bun walked beside her, and both of them looked tired. But when she got close to the throne, a smile spread across her face.

"Blayze!" she beamed while walking up to hug him. "How did it go?"

"I think it went pretty well," Blayze replied.

"That's good to hear." She turned to her brother. "Any problems?"

Flint shifted uneasily. "Well, not many. Blayze actually handled everything pretty well. The only real issue was a short visit from the Blackbell Knights."

Flame princess groaned. "Those guys? What did they want?"

"I'll explain everything, but right now let's get you settled back in after the long trip."

"Very well. Blayze, would you like to join us?"

"I'd like to, but I have somewhere else I need to be," Blayze replied.

Flame Princess seemed a bit upset but nodded in understanding. "I guess we'll see each other tomorrow. But remember that you are always welcome here. And I'll also make sure you're compensated for your time here." She pulled Blayze into another hug. "And congratulations on your first day ruling. I look forward to hearing how it went. Take care"

"You too, Phoebe. And thanks for trusting me."

Once all of their goodbyes had been said, Blayze made his way out of the palace, also saying his farewells to the guards that stood by the main entrance. By Fire Kingdom standards, the night was cold, and Blayze shivered a bit as he walked the streets. All shops were closing and everyone was getting ready for another night of peaceful sleep. Glob knew Blayze wanted nothing more than to lie on his own bed as well.

He had to give Flame Princess a lot of credit. Doing all of the stuff that he did every single day required a lot of strength and perseverance. He wondered if it was like this with all princesses in Ooo. If so, he was impressed to say the least. They did a great job of keeping the land in working order, while also dealing with their endless bickering to one another.

After walking for the better part of a half-hour, he reached his house near the edge of the kingdom. It was nothing special, an average-at-best one story house made of rock, as were all others, with a chimney, a porch, a front door, and two windows.

Sitting down on the front porch in a rocking chair was Blayze's sleeping grandfather, Collen, and beside him on the floor was a little girl, appearing to be playing with a doll. Her yellow eyes beamed when she saw Blayze approaching, and she immediately stood up to greet him.

"You're back!" said the girl, now standing inches from him. Due to her stature, she was forced to look up in order to meet Blayze's own eyes.

"Hey Flema," he said, kneeling down to be on par with her. "How was your day, little sister?"

Flema was only six years old. Their father had died before she was even born. As for their mother, she fell gravely ill when Flema was only one year old, and died only months after. Now Blayze was the only family she had left aside from Collen, and she was the only family he had. But since their grandfather was growing too old for babysitting, Blayze often worried about her. Fortunately, she knew how to take care of herself while he was gone despite her age. Blayze only wished she was not so trusting of strangers.

As for Collen, the old elemental's flame was beginning to dim, making him look very skinny. He wore a hat that he used to cover his eyes. His snoring was loud and was in synch with the rocking of his chair. Blayze knew it was pointless trying to wake him up now, so he just left him be. After all, it was his favorite chair.

"I've been okay," she replied to Blayze's question. "Where you at the palace? How was it? Did you manage to see any of the dragons they have locked away I their pens?"

"Slow down, kiddo. I was only working today. Didn't see much outside the throne room."

"When will you take me with you?"

"Soon. You'll get to see the palace for yourself one day. I promise."

She seemed rather upset but never argued. "Grandpa said that if you were to become king, you'd forget about us."

"What?" he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Flema, of course that's not true. One day we'll leave this small house behind and live inside the palace, where all of the great fire kings that came before have ruled."

Her expression beamed a little. "I've always wanted to see it."

Before Blayze responded, he took notice of the doll she still had wrapped in Flema's arms. It was a brown sack doll with buttons for eyes but no mouth, as simplistic as it could get. But the weirdest thing, however, was that it was not burning despite having no flame shield on it.

"Flema, where did you get that doll?" he asked. He never recalled getting it for her.

"Oh, the nice wizard gave it to me."

"Nice wizard? What wizard?"

Rather than answering, Flema turned and went ahead to open the door to the house. Blayze followed closely behind, closing the door behind him once they were inside.

The house was not very big, but it had all of the essentials they needed to live. A dining table, a fireplace, a small kitchen, and two doors leading to the bedroom and bathroom.

On one of the dining table chairs sat an old purple robed man. What Blayze assumed was his staff was lying on the table, and the man himself was currently busy polishing it with damped cloth. When he turned to face Blayze and Flema, both of his pure white eyes stared at them as he smiled widely.

"Ah, the soon-to-be king," he said.

Flema began walking towards him, but Blayze held her back. "Who are you? What are you doing in our house?!"

"Ah, yes, well, first and foremost, my name is Weimar. And I…" he picked up the staff from the table and used it to lift himself off from the chair, "have a proposition for you, young lad."

Blayze looked down at Flema, and then back at Weimar. "Look, I don't know what it is that you're offering, but no thanks. I would just like you to kindly leave."

"Oh, I am not offering anything that can be bought, no sir. I am actually here to ask for your assistance in a matter that could mean the horrible end of…well, the world."

"The…world? What are you saying, old man?"

Weimar took several steps forward, and Blayze took several steps back with Flema.

"This land is kept in balance by a cycle," Weimar said. "The princesses keep the land in check, while Finn the Human makes sure those princesses and their people remain breathing. But the question is…who looks after the young human hero?"

"Just get to the point," Blayze demanded.

Weimar stood even closer.

"Dear lad, how would you like to be the one who saves Finn the Human?"

* * *

 **-Bio team2: I'm guessing it was scary?**

 **-CoolDudeAgent: It's quite alright. If you can't read a story over personal matters, then that's fine. But I'm glad you're still reading.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: I imagine The Thing also had somewhat of a part. But then again, I only saw it when already in my teen years.**

 **Next Chapter: Witch of Tears**


	12. Chapter 12: Witch of Tears

**Chapter 12: Witch of Tears**

 _Shadowed One…_

With no other sounds present, the words repeated themselves over and over inside Finn's head like a whisper. He tried as much as he could to keep the echoing voice out, but it was there to stay no matter how much he tried to ignore the voice coming from within. All he could do was stand in the endless void of darkness that surrounded him, shivering with the freezing feeling that ran through his entire body, slowly draining him of any sort of strength.

Try as he might, there was no fighting the cold. The air he blew out of his mouth to try and heat his hands was cold as well, his limbs began to numb as they slowly began to freeze, and he could barely even open his eyes as they nearly became frozen shut for good. Not even on the coldest days of traveling the Ice Kingdom did he feel such a freezing sensation.

' _Am I dead?'_ was the first thing that came to his mind. _'Or…am I still in the process of dying? I didn't think the afterlife would be this freezing. Is this what people mean when they say that they feel cold in their last moments?'_

It honestly would not surprise him if this was the case. The last thing he remembered was him, Jake, Ice King, and Huntress being surrounded by an enormous horde of monsters. Everything after that was nothing but a blur. Maybe one of them cut right through his neck, giving him a quick death, and that is why he could recall almost nothing of the event. All he could do was hope that if the others were killed as well, they would have met an equally quick fate. Just the thought of them being teared apart piece by piece and ending up as food…it made him feel colder than he already was.

But the feeling of frost enveloping him was not to last. Just when the human thought he was reaching the very end, the cold began to subside, replace by a soothing warmth that began to envelope his body. Without being able to open his eyes just yet, it was hard to tell what it was, but he felt like someone or something was wrapping their arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace.

And then there was singing. Whoever was holding him-a woman by the sound of it-was humming a gentle lullaby; like a mother does to comfort her child. Finn decided there was no point in fighting it. He was already so confused about everything happening around him, he may as well enjoy this brief moment of peace and tranquility.

During this moment, he remembered everyone that he had ever shared a happy moment with throughout his life. His brother Jake; his dearest friends, Princess Bubblegum and Marceline; Beemo and Neptr, the two robots that always kept him and Jake company; and so many more: Susan Strong, Ice King, Huntress, Betty, even his scumbag father, Martin. He also remembered the one woman he had ever truly loved: Flame Princess.

For some reason, he remembered her most of all. Her flowing orange hair, her bright yellow skin, and her mesmerizing red eyes. He could see her with such clear detail he could have sworn she was standing right in front of him. But at the same time, she felt so far away.

"Are you afraid?" asked the woman embracing him, stopping her lullaby to do so.

Finn moved his head from side to side. "No. I can't be afraid."

"And why not?"

"Being afraid will only make things worse."

There was silence for a few seconds. At least Finn thought they were seconds. He was starting to lose sense of time. He was starting to lose sense of everything.

"But being afraid is a good thing," the woman continued. "It reminds you of who you are in your darkest moments. It's what makes you…human. If you're brave all of the time, then you start to lose sense of yourself."

"I've been preparing myself for this day ever since I was just a kid. The day that I would meet my end while out adventuring. I accepted it, knowing it was the most likely way I would die."

"And what of those around you? Do you think they would accept death without fear?"

Finn pondered the question for a moment. "No. I never planned to drag anyone else down with me. But I did. And all I can remember them by is the fear in their eyes as I failed to protect them. As I failed to be a hero to them as I've been to so many more in the past." Tears began to slide down his cheeks. "You ask if I'm afraid. Well, I am. I admit it. But I'm not afraid for myself. I'm afraid for all of those around me. That no matter how hard I try, I'll only end up losing them. And now my fears have come true…"

Finn wrapped his own arms around the woman, burying his face into her shoulder as he began to cry. She only accepted his embrace and tightened her own grip around his back.

"Oh you poor soul," she whispered. "If it's the fear of failing the ones you love that drives you forward, then use that fear. Embrace it and accept it into your very being. Because there is more to your destiny than just lying dead on the ground at the hands of a mindless beast or greedy bandit. And the day will come when you may bend the earth to your will, calm a roaring ocean, and tame a thundering sky. For it is you, Shadowed One, who will master a power far greater than any being has mastered for centuries. A power that can bring paradise to those who inhabit this realm and so many others. When you wield this great gift, everyone will learn to love and respect you. And when that day comes, I will stand at your side. But only if you find me…"

As she finished, Finn could finally feel his eyes begin to open. He felt her hand let go of his back and made its way to his cheek, caressing it gently. When she moved his head so that he could see her face, he found that there was none. Nothing but the blank face of the very phantom of Flame Princess that had been haunting him in his slumber.

But at that moment, for the first time in his life, Finn felt no fear whatsoever, and allowed himself to be comforted in the Phantom's embrace.

 _Finn…_

* * *

"Finn…FINN!"

The human startled awake as Jake shouted his name. He was out of breath and had to take in a large gust of air before he could get a good view of his surroundings. Everyone was still there; Finn himself, Jake, Huntress, and Ice King, still breathing even after the horrific fate that awaited them before everything went black. And Finn now understood why.

They were, all of them, prisoners of the monsters that were once thought to want them dead.

Cages made of rusting metal incarcerated the group; Finn and Jake in one cage, and Huntress and Ice King in the others, and both being carried by at least two of the horrifying beings that inhabit Oldtown. However, try as he might, Finn could not find any trace of Oldtown through the bars.

It was hard to make out too much, but he knew they were being carried through a tunnel. One that, judging by the looks of the walls and overall structure, was dug without using any equipment. No doubt it must have been made using the claws of the creatures. The path was narrow, which meant each cage had to be carried one behind the other, with Finn's and Jake's being the one in front. And leading the way, being carried by one of the creatures, was the strange eyeless girl they had encountered before.

"Are you okay, man?" Jake asked, interrupting Finn's assessment of the situation.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm…I'm fine," the human replied. "What happened?"

"One of those things got you pretty good when they started attacking. Huntress, Ice King, and I tried fighting them off but they overwhelmed us. Now we're their prisoners, with no idea of where we're going."

Finn turned his attention to the cage holding Ice King and Huntress. Both appeared to still be unconscious.

"Hey, are they okay?" Finn asked.

"I think so," Jake replied. "They're still unconscious. We've been traveling in these cages for a few hours now. You really had me worried. After we were knocked out, I was the first one to wake up, but it was only me for most of the time. I was afraid you had received permanent brain damage or something."

Hours. Finn felt like he was in his dream for only a few minutes. But now here he was, back in reality and on his way to meet a surely gruesome end when they reached their destination.

"Can you not stretch yourself and break the cage of something?" the human asked Jake.

The canine shook his head. "Try to fit your hand through the bars."

He was confused at first, but Finn did as Jake said and tried extending his arm in between the cage's bars. But it was stopped when it touched a glass-like surface. Now Finn understood. The cages had some sort of ward around them.

' _What kind of magic do these things possess?'_ he wondered as he turned his gaze back to the strange girl.

Finn was still unsure, but he wanted to make the assumption that she was somehow in charge of these creatures. The way she was different from all of them, and how she was practically sleeping on top of the one carrying her without any sort of fear was proof enough, but the mark on Finn's hand still glowed with its ominous purple light whenever he extended his arm in her direction.

When he looked to one of the creatures carrying his and Jake's cage, he immediately saw the face of whatever person they were before. The face that made chills run down his spine as he remembered them all pleading for their suffering to end.

"Hey," Finn whispered as he got as close as the bars would let him. "Can you hear me?"

"Finn, what are you doing?" Jake wondered.

The human ignored the dog and kept his gaze on the creature's face. "What's going on? Where are you taking us?"

"Mustn't speak," the face replied in a raspy voice. The voice of a kid. "The lady will get mad at us if we do."

"Why?" Finn looked in her direction. "Who is she?"

The kid looked from side to side nervously, but never responded.

"Come on, you gotta give me something," Finn urged. "You're still sane in some way, right kid? Can you tell me anything? Like…let's start with your name."

Again the man shifted uneasily. "I…can't remember my name. None of us can. We are known only by what the lady calls us. Mongos."

"Mongos?"

"That is the name she has given us, so we accept it. We have no choice but to."

"But who is she? Why is she not like the rest of you?"

"Because she made us this way," the creature responded in a pained tone. "We are her family, and she is ours. We serve our sweet mother. That's all we know now. Nothing more."

"Why serve her, though?"

The Mongo silently chuckled. "As if we have a choice. These bodies are not our own. The Witch of Tears looks after us now."

"Witch of Tears?"

"It's what she has deemed herself. It's who she is. We serve the great Witch of Tears, and she loves us in return. The only one…who still loves us for what we are. For what we have become. Nothing but monsters roaming beneath the surface, forced to never see the sun. She is the sunshine we all long for. All the pain we feel, she shares it with us. She suffers a great deal for it. And thus she's always crying. Do not take her locking you up in a bad way. She only worries for us. Her cursed children."

Finn turned his gaze back to her. _'But she's only a kid herself. How is she powerful enough to control them? And why did she decide to leave us alive?'_

"Finn, I don't think you should keep talking to these things," Jake said, interrupting the human's thoughts. "I don't think they have much processing power left in their brains."

"I have to try and help them, Jake. Look at them. Deep down, they're still the same people they were before. And they're all hurting. I can't just ignore all this. You know I can't."

"This is an exception!" Jake responded in a hushed yell as to not wake the Witch. "For all we know they could be taking us back to their nest so they can cook us and EAT US! I don't wanna be eaten, bro! I wouldn't even taste that good!"

Finn shook Jake by his shoulders. "Keep it together, man. We're not getting eaten. We just need to find a way to make our escape as soon as possible."

"But how are we gonna do that when we're locked in cages covered with unbreakable wards?"

The human thought about the situation for a moment. "All we can do right now is wait. If they haven't killed us, then they must need us alive for something. When the earliest opportunity to fight back comes, we take it. Bam! We're out of these tunnels and back on our original trail."

Jake shoved off Finn's hands. "That's what worries me. The fact that you still want to keep going on this pointless crusade despite our problems."

"You saw the map inside the room with the Order of the Crow's dead members. Why would they have that if not for something really important? Don't you wanna find out what's at the end of this path?" Finn stared at the marking on his hand. "I know I do. I can't explain it, but…I just have to find out why I have this mark in the first place."

"BECAUSE A CRAZY WIZARD BURNED IT INTO YOUR SKIN!"

Finn covered Jake's mouth. Luckily, the Witch only stirred in her sleep for a brief moment. Sighing in relief, he removed his hand so Jake could continue.

"All of this that's happening, your dream, that mark, it's all just a madman messing with your mind. And all of us are gonna get killed sooner or later if we continue searching for something that doesn't exist."

"Then why would the Order have a map, Jake?"

"Honestly, I don't even care, dude. Treasure? Power? Anything that they were looking for can't be good. And I'm starting to think we should've just listened to Grand Master Wizard when we had the chance. Maybe we wouldn't even be in this mess."

Finn did not want to admit he was wrong, but maybe Jake had a point. Was it really necessary to go on? The journey had barely begun and now he and his friends were all prisoners to underground monstrosities. Who was to say it only got better? Maybe it only got worse. And if it did, what would everyone think of him if he led all of his friends to their graves along with him? How would he cop with any of it?

" _If it's the fear of failing the ones you love that drives you forward, then use that fear."_

The Phantom's words bounced around in his head endlessly. He was willing to accept them at first, but he knew it would be utterly selfish of him to put his friends at risk for his own needs. What about their fear? He never thought about it. Jake was his brother, so Finn knew he would never abandon him no matter the situation. Ice King was just looking for any excuse to hang out with them. And Huntress…Finn was still confused about her motives of being here, yet here she was. All of them here because of a stupid dream.

 _Dream._ That was the keyword. For all Finn knew, there was no Phantom; there was no trapped soul in need of rescue. It was all just in his head. And the fact that the Phantom was just an apparition of Flame Princess proved this. Maybe…he just really missed her, and his brain would come up with any excuse to see her, no matter how messed up. And it only got worse with her now being in a relationship with someone else.

' _Maybe I really am just jealous,'_ he thought. _'Maybe I'm just dragging everyone else into my own problems. Maybe…I really am ignorant.'_

…No. Finn knew deep down within himself there was more to this than what he was currently seeing. There was no denying there was something off about Weimar, but something about him told Finn that he was not crazy. Everything he said was not mindless babbling, it all connected to what the human was going through. He would continue to see this through to the very end, even if it meant going forward on his own. If they somehow managed to escape the grasp of the Witch of Tears and the Mongos, he would go on, but he would not continue to drag everyone else along with him. Despite the Phantom's words, there was no need for fear. Just determination.

' _Something is telling me to keep going. I don't know exactly what, but I somehow know for sure that this is the right thing to do. But…would I be risking the lives of my friends if I bring them with me? So much has already happened in such a short span of time, I don't think it would be worth putting them through all this trouble just for my own needs.'_

Finn's train of thought was interrupted when a groan reached his ears. He turned to see Huntress regaining consciousness inside the other cage. Ice King woke up as well, straightening his crown as he sat up.

"Ugh, where are we?" the ice wizard wondered. "And what's that horrible smell?"

Huntress' eyes lit up when she saw Finn. "Finn? Huh, good to see we didn't come all this way just for all of us to die saving you."

"Good to see you too, Huntress," Finn replied.

She got up to a kneeling position and took a minute to analyze the environment. "How did we get inside this tunnel? Where are they even taking us?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Finn responded.

"We are almost there," said the Mongo that had spoken to Finn before. "Less than an hour."

"Less than an hour to where?!" Jake exclaimed, getting impatient.

"Mustn't speak anymore," replied the Mongo. "The Witch will punish us."

Jake sighed in defeat, realizing he would not be getting any answers while stuck in a cage. Finn sat next to him with his back in Ice King's and Huntress' direction.

"I'm sorry I dragged you all into this," Finn said. "I should be the only one locked in a cage right now, not you guys. Maybe I should've gone alone and just spend the rest of my days in a Wizard City jail cell."

There was silence for a while, with nothing but the sound of the Mongos' footsteps echoing in the tunnel.

"We don't blame you," Jake said, breaking the silence. "I said I would accompany you no matter what, and I still will. And it think I speak for both Huntress and Ice King when I say that we're here out of our own choices, not at your request."

Finn turned his head to the other cage, seeing Huntress and Ice King nodding. He would have smiled at them, but their current situation was no cause for happiness. All they could do for the remainder of the trip, while heading towards their possible demise, was wait.

Wait and and hope that what awaited was not death.

* * *

The Mongo remained true to his word. They reached their destination within the hour, wherever that destination actually was.

When the tunnel came to an end, the group found themselves inside a hallway lined with rows of jail cells. The walls were made of stone, ancient by the look of them; crumbling and covered with moss. Each metal bar of the cells was rusty to the point where even the slightest forced applied to them would probably cause them to break. The only way in and out was though the tunnel they came from or a wooden door at the opposite end of the hall, and the only source of light was rusty lamp hanging from the ceiling. As unstable as it all seemed, however, this was where the Mongos stopped completely.

Gently, the Mongo carrying the Witch on its back nudged her awake. And just like any normal child would, she yawned and rubbed her eyes. At least what was left of them.

Everyone watched her movements carefully from their cages as she hopped down from the Mongo's back and onto the stone floor. Even with her dress dirty beyond proper cleaning, she began to wipe the skirt with her hands as if she was wiping away unwanted dust. Then she turned her gaze to the caged group, piercing at them with her soulless voids, still spilling black tears down her deathly pale skin.

"Sweet mother," said the Mongo that was carrying her. Finn found it hard to tell whether its voice was male of female. "What shall we do with these prisoners?"

She only continued to stare, and she responded without taking her gaze off of them. "Let…them…rest."

At her command, the Mongos carried the cages inside the bigger jails cells. Ice King and Huntress were placed in the cell opposite from Finn's and Jake's. But rather than take them out of the small cages first, the Mongos simply placed them on the floor and then joined the Witch at her side once more.

With a swift motion of the hand, the cages that held the group suddenly burst open, sending the bars flying against the walls of the cells. While almost everyone remained surprised, Huntress was the first one to react, immediately summoning an arrow and throwing it in the witch's direction. Unfortunately, it did not even make past the bars before ricocheting back and impaling itself on the floor near Ice King, causing the Ice Wizard to shriek from nearly getting hit.

Jake also tried to use his powers to either break the bars or stretch through them, but it was no use. The same wards used on the cages that carried them in here were present on the cells as well, keeping them from breaking out no matter what they tried.

"Let us outta here, you little brat!" shouted Jake.

The Witch paid no mind to him. Instead, she and the Mongos following her all turned to leave. A Mongo opened the wooden door at the end of the hall for her, and all others followed behind. As the echo of the door closing filled the room, so did the purple glow of the marking on Finn's hand began to dissipate until it was once again its original black color.

"Great," Jake said. "Now what?"

"Now nothing," Huntress replied. "With these wards around the cells, we can't do anything. And before you ask, no, I can't break them. Trust me, tired multiple times while on our way over here. I have no idea who that little girl is, but…her power is unlike anything I've seen in a long time."

Jake groaned. "Great. So we're stuck here?"

"Basically."

The yellow canine sat in the corner of his cell. "We get out of one prison just to end up in another. When will the cycle end?!"

"Calm down, dude," Finn urged his angry brother. "Getting angry isn't gonna fix things. We keep our cool and we can figure something out."

Jake inhaled deeply and then exhaled. "You're right. But I don't see how we're getting past magical wards."

"Simon, anything you can do?" Finn asked.

"I only got ice powers, bro," replied the ice wizard. "Wards aren't exactly my specialty."

Another wave of silence crept over the room as everyone tried their hardest to come up with a solution.

"Well, we do have _some_ hope on our side," Huntress said.

"What?" Jake wondered, standing up and pressing his face against the cell's bars.

"These wards seem to block all kinds of physical objects and magic, but not everything. While we were being carried here, I managed to send out a message to someone. With any luck, they might just be our only salvation."

"Really?" Finn beamed with wide eyes. "You could do that?"

"Only another wizard would be able to pick up the message. There's only one wizard I really trust though. My grandfather."

"Great! Who's your grandfather?"

Huntress rubbed the back of her head. "He's the one who taught me how to use magic in the first place. I haven't seen him in a while. For all I know, he might be dead. But if memory serves, if he really is still alive, the message should've reached him accordingly. I just hope he can make it in time."

"What's his name?" Jake asked.

Before responding, Huntress stood from her spot on the floor.

"His name is Weimar."

* * *

 **Note: Mongos-What I used to call the Regenerators in Resident Evil 4 because I couldn't properly pronounce their name. It's…stupid, I know. It still didn't make them any less terrifying though.**

 **-JustET: Thanks. I'm glad you like it.**

 **Next Chapter: Paragham**


	13. Chapter 13: Paragham

**Chapter 13: Paragham**

If anything, Blayze was thankful that he was made if fire, otherwise the cold winds of the night howling over his and Weimar's heads would no doubt be a great discomfort. He could not say the same for the old blind wizard, however. Despite his cloak, there was no doubt the wind still managed to cool the fabric to a degree where it reached his skin. But if it was indeed bothersome, he never showed it on his face. Or maybe it would have been impossible to tell otherwise with the lack of expression in his eyes.

The Grasslands were beautiful, but it was definitely a place one would want to visit during the hours of the day when the sun shined brightly. Traveling the large grassy fields that were void of any trees to provide protection from the cold would no doubt lead to hypothermia, especially with winter approaching. But Weimar insisted they leave as soon as possible, because the time remaining for Finn and the people accompanying him was short. Blayze only wished he was told where exactly this destination was. Since their departure, Weimar had been very secretive about a lot of things. It made Blayze wonder why he even accepted to come. Taking the wizard's word that Finn and his friends were in trouble was putting a lot of trust in someone he did not know.

Needless to say, Flema was more important to him at the moment. Leaving her behind when he had just gotten back from a busy day made Blayze think she would have hated him. But his little sister always surprised him at every turn, seeming to fully understand the gravity of the situation at hand.

But it was not Flema that drove him to take on the quest. Whoever this strange wizard was, he was no stranger to the art of persuasion. Despite his white gaze, Blayze could see in his eyes that everything he said was true. The entire world was about to change…

 _(Earlier)_

"The human and his companions are in grave danger," the wizard had said after convincing Blayze to allow him to speak. "I sense they don't have much time, but I cannot rescue them on my own. Which is why I am here to seek your assistance."

Blayze had decided to hear the wizard out, seating on the dining table along with him. "What makes you so sure they're in trouble?" he asked.

"My granddaughter is among them. She spoke to me using her powers, and it very much felt like her presence. I highly doubt she would lie about something like this."

"But why me? Surely there are others more qualified for this. Ooo has no shortage of skilled warriors, and I'm not really something that special." He leaned his arms on the table. "I'm sorry, but I feel like you're wasting your time here, sir."

Weimar chuckled. "Do you ever stop speaking politely?"

"I haven't found a reason to yet. Don't give me one tonight. I don't know if you noticed, but I have my own family to worry about."

Weimar leaned forward on his seat, placing both hands on top of the table as well. "Tell me, my boy…What do you know about a place called Windar?"

Blayze was surprised by the random question, but played along anyway. "Just an old story. Heard it from a traveler passing by the kingdom a few years ago. Kinda like you; I thought of him as crazy. He said…it was an old fortress located high in the snowy mountains to the north, deep within the Ice Kingdom. A place where old necromantic rituals were performed on people captured in the night. But the stories also say the castle was sieged once its location was discovered by the public, and its inhabitants were either killed or taken away to be locked up in prison. So what does it matter, exactly?"

Weimar chuckled again. "Indeed there was a siege, but I wouldn't go as far as to say all of the necromancers were dispatched accordingly. A darkness still lurks within that fortress, waiting ever so patiently to be freed so that it may spread its malice upon the realm. It's ruled by the dreaded Witch of Tears. And it just so happens that she is currently in possession of the human in question."

Blayze leaned forward in interest. "But what would she want with him and the others?"

"The others? I do not know. For Finn, however, well…he does wield the sigil of Paragham."

"Paragham? What's that? It sounds familiar…"

"The Great Crow. The ancient mark of the Shadowed One passed down through generations of old lords. But it has not been seen on any living being for decades since the fall of the last warrior who wielded it. And yet somehow the human has it. If it is indeed the Witch of Tears we are talking about, she would have taken his life with great ease the moment she saw him. And yet he still lives; my granddaughter said so. And something tells me it has something to do with that mark. None of this is just coincidence, of that you can be sure."

Now that Blayze thought about it, he remembered seeing Finn's hand bandaged when he first ran into him. But since he was an adventurer, chances are he had just gotten hurt and was covering the wound. Could it have been that he was hiding the sigil? If so, exactly how many people knew about it?

Weimar stood from his seat, balancing himself with his staff.

"Heed this, my boy," he continued. "The world is beginning to change in ways not many are yet to comprehend. Animal migrations are happening quicker than anticipated, Wizard City has entered an uproar, and all magic is acting out of whack. A storm approaches, and it'll be up to not just one person, but every living soul in Ooo to put a stop to it. But we can't do it if we let the best fighters die in vain."

Blayze looked towards the corner of the room, where Flema was sitting and playing with the doll Weimar had given her. "You still haven't answered why you want _me_ to go."

"I have been living on this earth for quite some time, lad. I know plenty. The air is filled with the whispers of people sharing secrets with one another. You hide it, but all of this ties to you as well." Weimar leaned closer so Flema could not hear him. "You know full well who you really are, hiding it even from your sister. But you have spent most of your life trying to believe it false. And now you plan to marry the princess of fire because you want to do some good in this kingdom. A noble gesture, but one that will bring you nothing but misfortune should your heritage be revealed, or the ever more bothersome secret of your terrible crime. Everyone awaits their-"

Blayze stood and angrily slammed both of his hands against the table, causing the furniture to shake and startle Flema. Weimar seemed completely unfazed, however.

"That is _not_ who I am," he said. "And don't you dare bring my sister into it as well. It was nothing but mad ramblings from my father. Everyone…everyone knew his mental health was failing. Nothing of what he said made sense. And it almost drove him too far. I had to-"

Weimar silenced Blayze by bonking him over the head with his staff. "I do not judge you. You did what anyone else would have done in that situation. No need for rambling about your self-pity. But who's to say everyone else will feel the same. Beneath that fiery hide of yours lies a beast ever eager unleash its might upon the world. And no matter how much you try to tame it, every beast leaves its lair in search of food eventually."

The more Weimar spoke, the angrier Blayze grew at the fact that this unknown wizard knew so much about him. Even his greatest secret.

"What's done is done," the elemental spoke, regaining his composure. "Now please leave."

Weimar did not pursue to convince him further. He grabbed his staff and walked to front door, but not before turning his soulless white eyes towards Blayze once more. "Ooo will need a lot more heroes in the coming days, my boy. If you really care about your people, come find me at the local inn. If you aren't there by morning, you will never hear from me again."

Blayze heard Weimar's entire offer without actually looking at him. All he heard was the sound of the door opening and then closing again, followed by receding footsteps from the outside. After being sure he was gone, Blayze sighed in a mix of both relief and frustration.

He had his own sister to worry about, and embarking on some noble crusade would only strengthen the chances of her being left alone with her grandfather, Collen. And the old man had been through too much. His health would only get him so far when dealing with a young child. Even one such as Flema.

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her tug at his arm. When he turned to look, it was none other than Flema, holding the doll close to her chest and staring up into his eyes with a look he had seen too many times to count.

"I'm not going, Flema," he stated firmly.

"But the nice wizard says there are people in danger,"

"And he comes to the most unlikely person in Ooo to ask for help. I know nothing of this man. For all intents and purposes, he could just be some mad job looking to earn a favor from someone who can get close to Flame Princess."

"He seemed to know a lot about you. He mentioned Daddy…"

"Enough, Flema. It's getting late and you should be going to bed." She still did not budge. Blayze sighed at his sibling's persistence and kneeled down to be at level with her. "What would happen if I were to walk out that door and then never come back? Would you want that? Being left here with no one but Grandpa watching over you? Old coot can barely even stand."

Flema smiled; it was look that would melt anyone away at the first sight. "But I know you'll come back. You're the bravest guy in all of Ooo. And also the toughest. I can be too. I could take care of myself."

"I know you could, but toughness and bravery only get you so far, kiddo."

"I'm also smart," she added.

Blayze chuckled. "Indeed. The smartest girl in all of Fire Kingdom; but still a young one. Now, as I said before, get to bed, kiddo."

Flema seemed rather upset but obeyed him nonetheless. Before closing the door to her bedroom, she peeked half of her face around the frame. "The nice wizard said 'Paragham'. Wasn't that written in some of Daddy's old notes?"

"To bed, Flema," Blayze ordered.

He thought she was going to say something else, and for a moment it seemed like she was, but instead she simply proceeded back into the room and closed the door behind her.

Blayze allowed himself to relax and sat back down on one of the chairs. The only sound was the usual crackling of fire that made up nearly the entire environment of the kingdom. It was a sound that was irritating to anyone who was not an elemental trying to catch a good night's sleep, but for the inhabitants, it was like there was no sound at all.

The brief moment of silence was not to last, however, when the door creaked as Collen walked into the house. Special was the occasion when Blayze actually saw his grandfather on his feet and not sleeping. Though from the look on the old elemental's face, he was just about to keel over and fall asleep again. Nevertheless, he managed to reach the table and pulled out a seat, now facing Blayze directly from the opposite side.

"Who was that man I saw leave?" he asked. "Better not have been a telemarketer…"

"Just a crazy old man," Blayze replied. "Nothing to worry about."

Collen coughed several times, covering his mouth with his closed hand. "I heard you talkin' about taking a trip somewhere. Any idea where?"

Blayze gathered his thoughts about the previous conversation with Weimar. "He mentioned something about Windar, the old fortress to the north. There was also several mentions of…Paragham. The same name my father used to say."

Collen grunted. "I always thought your dad was a nice man, even if I was hesitant when your mother decided to marry him. But at the time, I thought it would make my sweet daughter happy. Then, well…everything happened. In any case, why…" He trailed off for a minute but then snapped back to reality. "Why would you go to Windar, anyway? From what I hear, the old place is nothing but a haven for the wild animals that inhabit the frozen wastes."

"Supposedly, Finn the Human is trapped in there with some people."

Collen scratched the back of his head. "Finn, huh? Isn't that the guy who dated the princess once?"

"He's more than just that, Grandpa. He's the Hero of Ooo. Everyone looks to him and his companion, Jake, whenever there's trouble."

Trying not to fall asleep, Collen mumbled a bit before responding. "Relying on a kid for help. Ha! What has this land come to? In any case, if the human is indeed in trouble, what's the harm in checking for yourself?"

"Multiple reasons. But the most important of them is leaving Flema here on her own."

"On her own? I can take care of her."

Blayze sighed. "That's not very comforting."

Looking down at his hands, the elemental felt a hand against his shoulder. He looked back up to see Collen standing next him, with a light smile present on his face.

"You know, Blayze, Flema won't be little forever," he said. "She's growing a lot quicker than you might think. You may see a little girl now, but come a few years and she'll be her own woman. And that time will pass by as fast as a gust of wind. But she needs to learn now that her brother can't always be there. And I'm sure she would understand just fine. Besides, I know you. One way or another, you won't fall dead on the ground at the tip of a sword. You'll come back for your family no matter how hard the struggle. Not many people can say that."

Blayze had to admit, when the old man was right, he was right. Not so much about him not dying, which was still a possibility, but rather his continuing worry of Flema that keeps her from experiencing the world. And if ever was to become king, the presence of him whenever she needed him would be a lot more scarce. Besides, the only times Blayze ever traveled was to hunt, never to fight an enemy he did not know.

"Do you really think I'll come back?" Blayze asked, looking at his grandfather's eyes.

For the next few seconds, there was nothing but silence between them as Collen thought of an answer.

"If I'm being honest…I don't know. But I have faith in you. And so does your sister. Of that, you have my word. So tell me, what will you do?"

 _(Present)_

When Blayze and Weimar reached the forest, the air became more tolerable, but with the moonlight blocked by the rustling leaves of the trees, it became hard to see what lied ahead. Luckily, Blayze's glowing body allowed them to get a better view of where they were going without getting lost in complete darkness.

The elemental had no idea where he was being led. And no matter how many times he asked, Weimar simply said that they were going 'Get a door', whatever that meant. Just in case, he always kept his bow at the ready with an arrow knocked on the string.

"So, what else do you know about Paragham?" Blayze asked, wanting to break the silence.

Weimar stopped for a while and used his staff to scan his surroundings before proceeding. "A god-like being born from the ashes of an ancient war. There are stories that suggest the Shadowed One could use the Great Crow's sigil to summon the spirit Paragham himself on the battlefield. Although, whether this is true or just a myth is unknown to me."

"But what is exactly is the role of a Shadowed One?"

Weimar stumbled when he accidentally scrapped a tree branch but regained his composure quickly. "To protect and serve."

Blayze raised an eyebrow. "Protect and serve who?"

"Ah, now that's the real question, isn't it?"

"You mean you don't know why Finn wields a centuries old mark?"

"Oh, I do. But some things in this world are better off unknown until the person figures it out for themselves. Let's just say there is a long road ahead for the human and his friends, but the payoff will change the world forever."

"For better or worse?"

Weimar scanned the area with his staff once more and then continued. "It depends on the point of view of the person living in such a world. What might seem great to some might seem terrible to others. Only time can tell how things will fall into place. Who knows, maybe my age is making me paranoid and the world will stay exactly as it is now. Maybe all of our struggles are pointless and I really am just turning into a rambling old coot."

Every time Blayze got an answer to one of his questions, he only grew even more confused. He was still debating with himself whether this strange wizard knew so much or if he was really just crazy after all. No matter the case, the elemental continued to follow.

After scanning the area one more time, Weimar's face beamed. "Ah, we're close," he said and waved forward. "Come."

After making their way past several bushes, with Blayze making sure he strayed from setting fire to any of them, they managed to reach a small clearing. In the center was a wooden door, standing up straight despite there being no house around to support it. Even stranger still, the closer they walked to the door, the more the muffled sound of music reached Blayze's ears.

"What are we doing here?" the elemental asked. "And how did you even know how to get here if you're blind?"

Weimar laughed. "They don't call me the Elder of the Woods for nothing. I can make my way around a forest with ease. As for why we are here, well, Windar is located high on the slopes of the Ice Kingdom's mountains. Getting there on foot with the little time we have to rescue Finn, my granddaughter, and his friends is too high of a risk. Therefore, we'll use a shortcut."

"What kind of shortcut?"

Rather than responding immediately, Weimar stopped in front of the door and knocked a few times before turning to face the elemental. "You ask too many questions, you know that?"

As Blayze was about to comment, the door opened and the music coming from inside grew ever louder. Flashing lights of varying colors nearly blinded the elemental and a thick layer of smoke spread across the grass and covered his feet. As impossible as it seemed, on the other side of the door was an entire room where a party was taking place. At least what Blayze hoped was a room because the walls seemed rather…fleshy. Every single attendant was a small bear with varying symbols on their stomachs; all except the one who answered the door to greet him and Weimar, because he was not even a bear.

His skin was a light yellow shade and his torso was wide. His arms and legs were slightly bent in multiple directions and were very skinny compared to the rest of his body. On top of his head was a hat with and ornament resembling a small door, a string carrying multiple colored keys hung from his shoulder, and he carried a large duffle bag on his back. Due to him eating a sandwich, his cheeks were puffy, and when he spoke, it came out as high pitched grunts.

"It's good to see you again too, Door Lord," said Weimar. "How have your crazy squatting sessions been going?"

The Door Lord spoke muffled words several more times in response.

"That's good to hear. Listen, my friend and I need a favor. We need to get to the fortress of Windar. I was hoping you would be able to help us out with your door summoning skills."

More questionable mumbling ensued.

"It's important. The Witch of Tears has captured Finn the Human and several of his friends, my granddaughter included."

The Door Lord took a bite of his sandwich and rubbed his chin in thought. After a few seconds he mumbled while nodding, leading Blayze to believe he agreed.

Closing the door behind him and muffling the sound of music once more, the Door Lord grabbed one of the keys tired to the string and threw it forward. Rather than land on the ground, however, a door materialized out of thin air, unfolding itself and standing straight on the ground without falling over.

Weimar turned back to the Door Lord. "Thank you."

The lord mumbled happily and then took another bite from his sandwich. Weimar then turned to face Blayze.

"Are you ready?" the wizard asked.

Blayze looked at the newly formed door, then turned his gaze back to Weimar. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Nodding in approval, Weimar stepped forward to open the door. What awaited on the other side was a blizzard of cold air and snow, making it hard to see what exactly they would be walking into.

Taking one last deep breath, Blayze followed the old wizard into the frozen wasteland that awaited beyond, and the door closed behind them.

* * *

 **Note: There's a few things I wish to discuss with you all before ending this chapter completely.**

 **Firstly, for those who don't read my profile, there is a slight chance that the rating for this story might change to an M if I decide to go through with some of the ideas I have; just a heads up for the future. Secondly, m** **ost of this story is already planned out, but there is still plenty of room for other stuff to be added in later. Which is why I'm going to do something I haven't actually done yet with any of my other stories during my time on this site.**

 **If any of you have any ideas (be it about characters, places, creatures, events, etc.) you can PM me with all of the details (or give them to me via review if you don't have an actual account) and I'll see if I can add them into the story as it progresses; and I'll also give credit for the ideas to whoever sent them, of course. I figured this would keep things a bit interesting and give me something to write with should I ever come across an impasse while working on a chapter. Plus I'm really interested to see what you guys come up with. I'd like to consider this OUR story, not just mine.**

 **But enough talking. I'll see you all later.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: It is indeed.**

 **Next Chapter: The Winds that Roar**


	14. Chapter 14: The Winds that Roar

**Chapter 14: The Winds that Roar**

It was like a shining black monument amidst the endless wastes of snow.

Windar could be seen in the distance, a fortress bigger than the stories always made it out to be. Its walls stood roughly over eight meters in height, with a watchtower on each of its two corners. The other two corners were nowhere to be seen, along with the fortress's rear wall. All of the protection it needed from behind was a gargantuan mountain, so tall that its peaks hid behind the moving clouds in the night sky. It was the only mountain for miles. Beyond the icy peaks that separate the Ice Kingdom from the rest of Ooo, the Unknown Lands were nothing but snow in every direction.

The only reason Blayze and Weimar could even see anything was because of the colorful auroras that waved across the heavens, shining down upon the endless white surface. Behind its walls, Windar's castle was something straight out of a fairy tale. Spires that rivaled the tallest of structures in the Candy Kingdom, a black surface darker than any of the charcoal found in Fire Kingdom, and a feeling of dread that it brought upon anyone who laid eyes on it worse than anyone would get in the Nightosphere.

With how strong the winds were with nothing to hold back their might, Blayze wondered how anyone was able to even find this place to begin with, let alone siege it.

"Behold!" Weimar exclaimed beside the elemental, raising his staff into the air. "The ancient castle of Windar!"

Blayze looked at Weimar awkwardly. "Uh…you're facing the wrong way," he pointed out.

"Oh." The blind wizard turned his head towards the correct direction and raised his staff once more. "Behold! The ancient castle of Windar! A ruin of dark magic and unspeakable terrors. And the place where Finn and his friends currently reside."

After taking in the sight for a few moments longer, Blayze turned to Weimar. "How are we gonna get in? Despite its age, it still seems mostly intact. Plus, even though I can't exactly see anyone, I highly doubt it's not being guarded."

"Of that you are correct, my boy. The Witch has no shortage of servants at her disposal. We will need to be a lot more discreet. Every problem has a solution, even if at first, all options might seem near impossible." He placed a finger against his chin in thought. "Think, how would she be able to carry Finn and his friends all the way here from Wizard City without being caught? She is powerful, but her influence is not as strong when away from Windar. My granddaughter mentioned something about being carried through a tunnel network. So maybe…the answer lies beneath right beneath our feet."

"Okay, where exactly?" Blayze asked.

Weimar opened his mouth to speak, but instead remained still with no words to actually say. "I cannot say. I might be able to find a hollow point in the earth, but it might take some time. You don't mind waiting in the cold for a bit longer, do you?"

"I wouldn't if it wasn't annoying. The snowflakes that keep hitting my face melt into water."

"It'll only take a few minutes as I send out a few waves. Besides, as long as we keep our distance from Windar, we're in no real danger. Now, if you wanna be the future Flame King, begin acting like it."

Blayze only scoffed and waved for him to proceed. Closing his eyes, Weimar grabbed his staff with both hands and held it in front of his face, chanting in some language that the fire elemental could not comprehend. Afterwards, the small orb at the top of the staff began to glow with a bright green aurora, which then expanded and began surrounding the wizard himself, like a whirlwind. When he reopened his eyes, they were the same shade of green, and his chanting grew even louder.

With the final words uttered, the auroras surrounding the wizard exploded outwards, nearly causing Blayze to fall to the ground from loss of balance. The green light flew for what seemed like miles, dissipating after reaching a certain distance. Weimar's eyes then returned to their normal shade of white, and the orb of his staff no longer glowed.

"Anything?" Blayze asked, approaching him.

Weimar hummed a bit before responding. "I felt something, but it is still too weak to pinpoint its exact location. I will send out another wave."

Just as he began to raise his staff once more, the ground around the two of them began to shake. The disturbance was barely noticeable at first, but it eventually began to grow as the seconds went by. Blayze thought it was an earthquake, but was proven wrong when the snow around them began to rise from the ground, in the shape of three massive dunes.

Two glowing blue orbs appeared on the surface of each one, and right below them a thin horizontal line began to form. After reaching a certain height, they began taking shape. It was only after they exhibited arms and legs that Blayze realized they were snow giants.

Giants was the right word. They towered over the elemental and the wizard by a good five meters. Their eyes were fixed on the duo as the three surrounded them from all sides, looking down on them with the blue orbs that acted as their eyes. Weimar kept his staff at the ready, so Blayze did the same with his bow.

"Who disturbs our sleep?" one of the giants spoke, in a voice that boomed despite the loud howling of the winds.

Neither Blayze nor Weimar spoke back to the giant. The three towering beings looked to each other, and then back down.

"Do you speak our tongue?" another giant asked.

"We do," replied Blayze, tightening his grip on the bow.

"The answer our initial question," said the third giant. "Who are you, and what business have you in our lands?"

Right before Blayze could respond, Weimar placed a hand against his chest.

"We do not mean to intrude upon your business," said the wizard. "We simply seek entrance into the fortress of Windar. Is there a chance that you could lend us your aid? We would be very grateful, but of course, you are free to decline."

The three giants exchanged glances with each other once more.

"And why do you seek entrance into the home of our mistress?" asked the first giant.

Blayze felt himself go stiff, but Weimar continued.

"Mistress? The Witch of Tears now has snow giants under her employ?"

"You will ask questions when you have answered our own, wizard," said the third giant. "Why do you seek entrance into Windar?" The giant stomped his foot on the ground before Weimar could continue. "We wanna hear it from the flame elemental. He hasn't spoken much."

Blayze's gaze shifted nervously between the giants, but still gathered the nerves to clear his throat and face them directly. "We're looking for some friends of ours that were taken into the Witch's custody. We were hoping to bring them back."

Suddenly, all three giants began to laugh. It was a sound so loud that Blayze had to cover his ears. "Do you really believe you can go into the home of the Witch and come out alive?" asked the first giant. "Besides, if they really have been taken under our mistress' custody, they're already dead. You're just wasting your time."

"Wasting it!" exclaimed the second giant for emphasis.

Weimar was about to speak, but Blayze continued before he could get a word in. "No! They're still alive in there, and if you're just gonna stand around wasting our time, we'll get into Windar on our own."

As Blayze turned and began to walk away, one of the giants placed his foot right in front of the elementals path, prompting him to look up the scolding look of the towering and snowy behemoth.

"That's not gonna happen, moving candle. No one gets to the Witch without passing through us first."

"So you do serve her," said Weimar.

"It's more of a…mutual understanding between us," explained the giant. "She allows us to leave in peace out here in our frost paradise, provided that we squash trespassers like you and keep them from disturbing her."

"And right now, you're disturbing _us_ ," said one of the other giants as it made the motion to crack his knuckles, despite having none, "which is even worse."

Weimar must have sensed that Blayze was about to let loose and arrow, because he raised his staff in front of the elemental before he could do so. "I imagine there's no way to convince you to let us through peacefully?"

"No," the three replied at once. "Turn back."

Despite the answer, Weimar had a small smiled form on his face. "Ah well, isn't that just a shame. Still, it has been a while since I fought a snow giant. Wouldn't wanna get rusty now, would we?"

The giants laughed, taking the old wizard's threat for a joke. Surprisingly enough, even to Blayze, he was being a lot more serious than they thought he was.

After smashing the tip of his staff against the ground and causing the entire earth to shake, Weimar dashed forward at an alarming rate towards one of the now unbalanced foes. Despite its attempts to smash its leg against the ground to crush the wizard, his impossibly quick agility kept it from succeeding in the endeavor. Blayze could only stare in awe as he climbed up the giant's leg until reaching the top of its head, all under the span of a few seconds. The longer Blayze stared, the more he realized Weimar was not climbing, but teleporting, quickly impaling his staff on top of the giant's dome before he was thrown off completely.

As Blayze and the other two giants stared in confusion, the eyes of their counterpart began to glow a bright orange color, along with the orb on top of Weimar's staff.

There was little time to react. After Weimar had completed the process, the giant beneath him was now a puppet to his wizard powers. He made the beast swing its arm towards its comrades, successfully catching them both on guard as it made contact with both of their heads. Blayze had to jump out of the way before he was crushed under the weight of the two falling behemoths. It was the perfect chance for him to shoot a flaming arrow right into the eyes of both. Unfortunately, he was only able to strike one on each head, and missed with the other two arrows as they struck their bodies instead, doing nothing but raising a bit of steam into the air from the mixture of snow and fire. But it was only a minor setback, as Weimar was still able to hit them both yet again. But knowing what to expect, the hit was not as effective as the last.

Blayze felt like an ant among the colossal battle taking place before him. Even if he was made of fire, one of them accidentally stepping or falling on him would extinguish his flames for good. He rolled and jumped to avoid their stomping legs, all while getting a few arrows into their ankles when the opportunity showed itself. It proved useful when the leg of one of the giants gave away after enough hits, making it fall to the ground once more. And with another arrow, both of its eyes were now gone.

"Gah! I can't see!" it wailed as it held onto its wounds. Despite the lack of eyes, the expression of pure rage could still be seen clearly. "I'm gonna-"

Whatever threat it was about to make, it was stopped when Weimar stomped its head in with the giant he was controlling. Blayze winced as several small piles of snow landed on him, but he brushed them off quickly before they could become full puddles of water under his body's heat. He turned his gaze back to Weimar, whose giant had been grabbed from behind and was struggling to break free from its grasp.

"You broke my eye; you killed my brother!" it roared at the wizard. "I'm gonna smash you both like bugs!"

"A little help would be very much appreciated, boy!" Weimar shouted at Blayze from above.

The elemental quickly obliged. Aiming his bow and taking a deep breath through his nose, he let loose another arrow straight towards the giant's remaining eye. Its brief moment of weakness at having lost its last bit of sight, Weimar shook loose from its grip and used his elbow to knock it back.

With no way of seeing what was to come, the remaining giant was taken care of quickly when Weimar swung his arm with full force, knocking its head off of its entire body. Its limbs all went limp, but its torso disintegrated into what seemed like millions of snow particles, immediately blow away by the strong winds. Once there was no more need for it, Weimar disintegrated the giant he was controlling as well, using his powers to teleport himself in front of Blayze before he fell along with it.

The blind wizard wiped some snow from his shoulder. "Such a pity. To think we could have avoided getting drastic."

"You were the one who attacked first," Blayze reminded him. He sighed while putting away his bow. "But at least there were only three of them. Do you know where-"

Before he could finish his thought, the ground began to shake once more, but the tremor was a lot stronger than what they had originally felt. In the distance, between them and Windar, more dunes of snow were forming all across the immense field. There too many to count; dozens, maybe hundreds of them all protruding from the ground at once. Without hesitation, Blayze and Weimar both readied their weapons once more.

' _So much for just three.'_

The glowing blue eyes of each new giant could be seen from afar like lanterns. With their combined numbers, it was as if a wall was separating the dark fortress from the rest of the world, only that wall was now making their way towards them, and it did not look happy in the slightest. And some way or another, Blayze knew that he and Weimar would have to get past them. The old wizard must have known what he was thinking, however, because the elemental felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"Don't fret," he reassured. "I will send out another wave to see if I can find the tunnel. In the meantime, you hold whatever is thrown our way back."

Blayze's eyes widened in disbelief of the wizard's words. "What?! How am I supposed to hold back all those giants by myself? I may be made of fire, but what I can do is limited in a place as cold as this."

As was the norm, Weimar only responded with action rather than words. The orb of his staff glowed orange once again and he held out his hand. Blayze complied and gripped the wizard's, and the aurora coming from the staff began to pass on to his arm. It was barely noticeable due to his fiery skin, but it was there; he could feel its presence.

Once the process was finished, Weimar pointed to the direction of the advancing giants. "Touch one of them with that hand. Afterwards, the rest will practically take care of itself."

Blayze looked to his hand in worry. "Are you sure about this?"

"We don't have many options. Listen to your elder and go!"

Even with worry still in his mind, Blayze followed Weimar's command. The wizard may have been a bit cryptic at times, more so than anyone would like, but he had not given the elemental a reason to doubt him so far. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk towards the giants as Weimar began his own work.

' _Finn, I swear, you better have some good answers after we break you out of there. And I'm not talking about telling only me…'_

Several giants were farther ahead than others in their march. Blayze turned to the one closest to him. The shorter the distance between the two, the more his walk began to change into a jog, and then a sprint, until eventually he was met with the giant's foot about to come down on top of him.

After barely missing being stomped to the ground, Blayze dashed forward and placed his hand on the surface of the giant's leg. He expected to feel pain from having his fiery skin touch a snowy surface, but instead it only felt numb. The giant seemed confused as well as it witnessed the elemental's actions from above, but both of their expressions soon changed to utter shock when a stream of orange tendrils began to spread across the limb. Eventually, Blayze felt himself being sucked into it, and try as he might to pull his hand back out, he and the giant could only watch as the rest of his body got completely engulfed into the snow, but even as he closed his eyes to prepare for the inevitable, he continued to feel no pain whatsoever.

Upon opening his eyes again, Blayze still felt as normal as ever, only something was different. He felt further away from the ground than before and standing in the snow was no longer a nuisance on his fiery skin, but that was because his skin was not made of fire at all anymore. Instead, as he looked down with eyes that were not his own, he found nothing but the body of the giant he had placed his hand on just a moment before, only now it was covered with the same orange tendrils from before. And it was then that he realized, he was in complete control of the body's movements.

Aware of his new ability, Blayze turned to face the rest of the horde heading his way. It was no secret to them that their comrade was now under the elemental's control, so they were not hesitant to begin charging at him with fists raised.

" _Okay, let's do this,"_ Blayze said, but it was the booming voice of the giant under his control.

He managed to block the first attack coming at him with his arms. The opposing giant was unable to pull his limb back in time before Blayze grabbed it, twisted it, and ripped it right off its socket. Afterwards, he used the very same arm and swung it right at its head, knocking it off the rest of its body and eliminating the opponent for good.

Despite feeling good about the successful counterattack, there were still plenty more attackers heading in his direction, encircling him from all sides. They were luckily not paying any attention to Weimar as he worked to cast his spell.

Two giants charged from both sides, but Blayze quickly raised his arms to push them back. Unfortunately, it only served for them to be able to grab both limbs and pull on them with enough force that would have ripped them off were it not for the tendrils enforcing them. But it was still enough to give the other giants the opening they needed to attack.

Right before the first fist connected with his abdomen, Blayze used his enhanced strength to shift his body far to the right. This caused the attacking giant to accidentally hit its comrade holding on to him, freeing his right arm. He made quick work of the one holding his left arm by punching it in the cranium, dazing it just long enough for him to grab its own arm with both of his, twisting it, and then using whatever power he could muster to throw the entire behemoth towards several of the others approaching. It was effective, but there was very little time to gaze upon his work as a strange wave of green energy pulsed across the entire battlefield.

" _Blayze,"_ Weimar spoke. His voice could be heard inside the elemental's head. _"There is definitely a tunnel somewhere around here, but I need more time to find its exact location. Otherwise we'd have to make a thorough search while under attack."_

" _Just hurry, old man!"_ Blayze responded.

" _No need to yell, boy. Be patient. And don't call me old, I'm only eighty years of age."_

Before Blayze could reply, he felt a pair of hands grab him from behind. There was no time to break out of the grasp before he began getting pummeled by other giants from all sides. If it was not for his enhance limbs, his entire body would have been nothing but another pile of snow by this point. Luckily, that was not the case just yet, but it would be if it continued.

Over the shoulder of the giant punching him from the front, he could see at least two of them making their way towards Weimar. The wizard was too busy casting the spell for the third time to notice the impending danger. And no matter how hard Blayze tried to communicate with him through their mental link, there was no breaking through the barrier surrounding him. If there was to ever be a chance of succeeding, the elemental needed to reach him, and fast. With that in mind and little choice left, he closed his eyes and focused his attention as much as possible. After only a few seconds, he felt himself beginning to leave the body that he currently inhabited. To his own surprise, it worked; now he stood at the foot of the no longer controlled giant, who was still being pummeled by its own brethren who had not noticed the change. The distraction worked to give him the edge necessary to make his way out of the large crowd of giants and fly towards the ones on their way to Weimar.

With a quick burst of energy, his flames allowed him to boost himself forward with enough speed to catch one of the giants in its track. Before the behemoth could properly react, Blayze had already taken control of it, just like he had done before.

It was easy to make quick work of the other giant. A simple swing of a fist towards the head was enough to send the thing flying farther than the eye could see, and the rest of the body took only seconds to deteriorate completely at the loss of its main source of life. Now Weimar was free to continue his work. And fortunately, it would not take long.

As another wave of energy covered the snowy wastes, drawing the attention of the distant giants in the process, Weimar spoke to Blayze in his mind once again.

" _Aha! I know where we must go!"_

" _Good!"_ Blayze said while grabbing the wizard in his giant hand. He felt the information needed being passed onto his mind through the mental link. Now he knew exactly where to go.

To the naked eye, their destination was nothing more than another patch of snow. But as Blayze used his strength to stomp his foot into the ground, it revealed the opening they were looking for in order to reach Windar.

There was little time to act. As the dozens of remaining giants were nearly within reach, Blayze set Weimar down onto the ground as he began to leave the giant's body. Once back on his normal body, he followed the old wizard into the opening he had crated on the ground, which led into a tunnel when making it past the rubble left behind from the cave-in. And with a bit more of his magic, Weimar was able to seal the entrance formed just as the giants were within arm's reach of their location, leaving them with nothing but darkness except for the light from his staff, Blayze's orange glow, and the echoing of thundering footsteps coming from the surface above them.

With some time to gather their thoughts, the two of them began to catch their breath.

"We made it," Weimar said.

"Yeah," the elemental replied. "Not bad for a blind guy. But we better move before they break through again and fill the whole place with snow."

"Indeed. Let us move on. Our friends are depending on us. And we will not-"

As Weimar began to walk in the wrong direction, Blayze grabbed him by the shoulders and quickly spun him around.

"And we will not fail them," the wizard concluded.

With the sound of giant footsteps booming over their heads, Blayze followed Weimar as the two began their trek through the dark tunnel, hoping nothing bad awaited them on the other side.

* * *

 **Note: Well,** _ **Islands**_ **was certainly an emotional roller coaster. I think I enjoyed it a lot more than** _ **Stakes**_ **in every aspect. What about you guys?**

 **-FourElemental: I'll try my best, but humor isn't really my strong suit.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: I guess we shall find out.**

 **-TimeManipulator99: Thanks! I will definitely try my hardest.**

 **Next Chapter: Gift of Sight**


	15. Chapter 15: Gift of Sight

**Chapter 15: Gift of Sight**

" _Huntress, can you hear my voice?"_

She opened her eyes in a flash, sitting up and darting them across the cell in search for the familiar voice of her grandfather. Ice King was asleep on the ground next to her, as well as Finn and Jake in their own cell, but they were the only ones present in the general vicinity. She thought that maybe she was starting to go crazy already, until the same voice echoed across her consciousness once more.

" _Are you well, dear child?"_

Her eyes closed as fast as she had opened them, focusing all of her attention on responding to her relative.

" _Grandp…Master, is that you?"_ she asked.

" _It is. A friend and I were able to find a way to get to you. We will arrive shortly."_

Huntress sighed in relief. _"It's good to hear from you again."_

" _Likewise. Do not fret. You and your friends will see the light of day again."_

When the connection between her and Weimar began to fade, she opened her eyes once more and shifted their gaze towards the rest of the group.

Inside her cage, Ice King was sleeping on the ground, mumbling as a line of drool dripped down his cheek. On the opposite side, Finn and Jake were conversing with each other, but their voices were too low for her to make out their exact words. Nevertheless, they stopped when they noticed her standing from the ground and walking towards the cell's bars.

"Good news, my grandfather is nearly here," she said. Finn and Jake seemed relieved, but Ice King still remained asleep.

"Weird how he found us so fast," Jake said.

"He has his ways. All we gotta do is be patient and hope that little witch doesn't find us busting out of here."

"True that," Finn said. "I'm still on edge as to why she didn't just kill us."

"I bet she wants to eat our brains while we're still breathing; keep us as fresh as possible. Or maybe she wants to turn us into one of those things from before. Or worse…she'll kill all of you and then keep me as her pet, forcing me to play fetch for her entertainment for the rest of my days. I like fetch as much as any dog, but even I have my limit. I'm too lazy to run after a ball more than a few times, but I'll do it anyway because it's so tempting!"

Finn slapped his brother on the back of the head, silencing him. "Will you knock it off?"

Jake rubbed the place where he had been struck. "Sorry, I get really paranoid when I'm hungry. I haven't eaten properly in days. That stuff they served us in wizard jail was terrible."

"I'm hungry too, bro. But we'll be eating soon."

The yellow dog turned his gaze to Huntress. "If her grandpa is as reliable as she says it is."

"He'll come through for us, I know it," she replied.

"I'll take your word for it," said the human. "But from what I've seen of him so far, he's not exactly the most stable of people."

"I have no idea what exactly he was doing in those woods that day," she responded, recalling the story Finn had told her during their time locked up, "but he practically raised me. I haven't seen him in years, but I don't think he's crazy. At least not fully. This whole 'Shadowed One' thing you keep mentioning makes no sense to me. Neither does the mark on your hand. He never said anything about it."

"Let's hope he'll actually stop being cryptic once we see him again," Jake said.

The group turned their gazes to Ice King, who groaned as he rolled onto his back. "Can't a guy get some peace and quiet in here?"

"Ice King, you should pitch in on helping us get outta here," Finn said.

"I'm an ice wizard, there's only so much I can do right now. Why don't you just let your girlfriend here do all the-GAH!"

He was unable to finish before Huntress grabbed him by his robe and looked at him directly in the eyes.

"What did I say back in Oldtown?" she growled. "Don't. Even. Go there."

Ice King only whimpered and nodded his head. She let go of his robe, making him fall to the ground once more.

"Now then," she turned to face Finn once more, "I hope you can fight without-"

Huntress' words were halted when the door leading into the room opened. Two Mongos came in one after the other, walking on all fours to the jail cell holding her and Ice King. They never got any less sickening to look at.

"Mother wishes for your audience," one of them said while pointing at Huntress. It was the same one Finn and Jake had spoken to while being carried through the tunnel.

She scoffed. "I'm not going with you, you freaks. Tell your mother she can come down here herself."

The Mongos nervously looked around the room, as if terrified the Witch was around to hear. But that was only whatever remained of their actual faces, for their sharp teeth were curved in a way that showed rage. "Careful, she will not tolerate such words in her home."

Huntress crossed her arms. "Oh yeah? And what is she gonna do? If she wanted to kill us, she would've done it by now."

"Huntress, stop taunting them!" Jake whispered from his cell. He and Finn looked clearly scared.

It did not matter. She had no time to take back her words.

Out of the wards that surrounded the cell, numerous shocks of lighting ran through both hers and Ice King's bodies. After a few seconds of shock, Finn and Jake began to try and break through their own cell, but it only ended in failure no matter how many times Finn kicked the bars or Jake grew to try and break through the ceiling.

When the shocking ceased, Ice King was left unconscious, but Huntress was still left awake, if very weak. With no way of being able to fight back, she could only groan in pain as the cell's gate magically opened and the Mongos stepped inside, grabbing and carrying her out.

"Huntress!" Finn shouted, still trying to break through the wards with his brother. "Leave her alone, you monsters!"

She could barely even lift her hand. From the back of the Mongo carrying her, the room behind them was nothing but a blur.

"HUNTRESS!"

As the door closed behind the Mongos, she could hear no more of Finn's voice calling her name.

* * *

The halls were hollow, devoid of anything but the small cracks along the stone walls and the torches hanging from their racks. Huntress tried with all of her might to move, but to no avail. She was too weak to do anything right now. All that was left was wait and see where the Mongos were taking her. To the Witch, no doubt, but what would she even want with her?

Whatever the case, there was little she could do to break free from the Mongos' grasp. After a while, others would start to walk past, either just wandering aimlessly, carrying objects from one place to another, or just plain lying dead on the ground, left to rot and ignored by all others. It was difficult to tell which still had some semblance of sanity and which were already driven insane beyond saving. Although some were obvious, seeing as how they continuously banged theirs heads against the walls. Huntress wondered how anyone could live like this, forced to nothing but a mindless beast for the rest of their lives.

It was difficult to recall the exact route, but after passing through a small doorway, Huntress knew they had reached the main hall of the castle.

The architecture was more or less the same as the rest of the castle, if a bit more well-preserved. The walls seemed black, but from up close they were more of a very dark shade of gray, just like the large columns on each side to keep the entire structure intact. And what hall as grand as this was complete without a throne? And who else to sit on top of it than the little girl who commanded the savage Mongos?

From what she learned after reading several old books, Huntress would consider the large windows above the throne to be of gothic design. Although, upon closer examination, it was more a mural instead of a window since the only view behind it was the rock of the mountain that the fortress was built into. At least, that is what Huntress assumed. She had a pretty good feeling of where she and her companions had been taken now; she only wished she was wrong, because otherwise they were in very deep trouble. Even more so than before.

She looked behind her at the massive doors that led outside. But even if she was somehow able to regain her strength and run for it, there was simply no way she could open them fast enough on her own. All she could do was stare at the custom throne where the Witch sat, playing with a small doll. And 'custom' was the right word, because unlike everything else in the room, it was made entirely out of old rusted swords and pieces of metal. Maybe iron? It was a bit hard to tell.

As if the throne itself was not menacing looking enough, standing guard on each side of it were the biggest Mongos Huntress had seen thus far. Behemoths, both about five meters tall, and no less terrifying than the rest. No mere person could create such monstrosities, unless multiple had been used to add more body mass.

The Witch turned her head to Huntress as the Mongos carrying her dropped her at the base of the throne. Again she tried to summon an arrow in her hand and shoot, but once again there was nothing. She had never felt this level of weakness in her life.

"Leave us," said the Witch. She never raised her voice, but it still echoed through the hall, and the Mongos obeyed her command; except for the two big ones.

Her lifeless eyes stared down at the wizard, and she could only guess what was going through her mind. Turn her into a Mongo? Keep her as a personal servant? Or maybe just toy around with and torture her for fun? So many possibilities and none of them were good.

Huntress watched from her spot at the foot of the throne as the Witch was helped down by one of the behemoths. It grabbed her in its hand, as delicately as plucking a flower from the dirt, and placed her firmly on the ground. She still grasped the doll in her hands, holding it like any other child whenever they were nervous about speaking to a stranger. But it was pretty obvious the Witch experienced no fear.

She knelt down to face the weakened wizard directly in the eyes.

"What…do you want?" Huntress asked.

The Witch only stared for a moment with her dark-as-the-void eyes. While holding the doll with one hand, she raised her other and slowly moved it to the side of Huntress' face. At first there was nothing, but then, her vision started to get blurrier than it already was by the second.

Rare were the times when Huntress was terrified, but this was one of them. And as her eyesight was completely gone, all she could do was shriek.

* * *

Finn's knuckles were showing the red stains of his blood by this point. Jake was surprised they remained uninjured for as long as they did from how many times the human continuously punched the cell's metal bars. But even when it was obvious every punch was painful, he continued to try and bust his way out nonetheless.

"Finn, stop," Jake said while placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We've tried our best; there's no way of breaking out of here."

"But we have to save Huntress!" the human screamed as he refused to stop.

"And how do you plan to do that if you're not able to fight! Your hands are gonna get all messed up. Face it, dude, we're stuck on here with no way out."

Finn continued to hit the bars, but not as strongly. Jake knew the look on his face all too well; the look he always had when he was well aware of his defeat but did not want to admit it. Eventually, he calmed down completely, simply resting his head against the invisible ward in between the bars acting as a wall of glass.

"What if they kill her?" he asked without looking directly at Jake. "There has to be _something_ we can do besides just sitting here waiting for Weimar. The Witch will deal with all of us by the time he arrives, and what will he do on his own? The dude is super old!"

"Hey, never underestimate old people!" Ice King said from his cell, rubbing his head as he recovered from the earlier shock.

"Like you've been much help," Finn replied, a bit harsher than he intended but he never made his regret known. Ice King seemed rather unfazed, however.

The human sighed and slid his back down the bars, sitting on the ground. Jake joined him.

"It'll be okay, man," the yellow cane said in an attempt to reassure Finn's worry. "Besides, if what Huntress said about Weimar is right, and he's not that crazy, chances are he didn't choose to come on his own."

Finn turned his head and sighed. "Maybe…" he looked down at the crow marking on his hand. "But why do I get the feeling something terrible is gonna happen?"

* * *

Blayze screamed as another claw dug its way into his shoulder.

Streams of lava poured from the wound, but there was little he could do to stop it. The Mongo had him pinned against the tunnel's wall, fiercely trying its hardest to bite his head clean off with its sharp fangs. It was only Blayze's other arm pressed against the beast's throat that was keeping it from coming any closer to accomplishing its goal.

Its black skin was melting under the intense heat of his body, but it did not seem to care. The only one fazed by the whole experience was the face located above its shoulder, who was screaming in agony and begin for the pain to stop.

Blayze had never seen such a creature, and was surprised to see it even when Weimar had warned him about them on their way through the dark tunnel. Mostly beast, but also retaining part of who it once was. He could only imagine how terrible the experience must be.

Just before his arm strength gave away, Weimar hit the Mongo over the head with his staff, surprisingly strong enough to knock it down to the ground. There was little time for Blayze to thank the blind wizard, or wonder how he even knew where to swing, for there were more than just one Mongo to deal with. They came from just one side of the tunnel, but their claws gave them the edge necessary to climb up the walls and land on the opposite side, catching both men off guard.

Ignoring the pain still present in his shoulder, Blayze formed a flame sword with his hand and slashed the downed Mongo's head clean off. Another tried to jump down at him from the roof, but he moved out of the way and quickly stabbed it in the back once it landed. Another crawled along the wall, but it was handled by Weimar as he blasted it with his staff. They screeched, but Blayze liked to imagine that deep down, they were overjoyed with their miserable lives ending.

When he struck the last one down with his fire sword, the tunnel grew quiet once more, save for his heavy breathing. Weimar continued to swing his staff around a few more times before he realized there were was nothing left to hit.

"Is it over?" he asked. "Ah, wonderful. Shall we press on?"

Blayze winced as he felt another wave of pain come from his wound. "I don't see how any of this is wonderful. My shoulder was hurt pretty badly back there. My fighting won't be as good if we run into another horde of those things. We should-"

He was silenced when Weimar bonked him in the head with his staff. Before he could argue, its orb began to glow bright yellow, and he moved it closer to the wound. Within seconds, it closed, leaving behind only the stains of the lava that managed to continuously spill put during the time it was still open.

"There, now you don't have to be such a whiny child," Weimar said.

Blayze grumbled, but never tried to argue against the wizard's insult. After testing out the healed arm, he gave a satisfying nod at how good it felt. "Fine, let's go."

They went on their way once Blayze pointed Weimar in the right direction. At least, he hoped it was the right direction. He had gotten a bit turned around during the Mongos' attack and the narrow tunnel looked nearly identical no matter how long they traveled through it. Difficult as it was to tell the time, he figured they had been walking for at least half an hour now. Windar had to be close now.

"Is there any way you can contact your granddaughter again?" Blayze asked.

Weimar stopped in his tracks for a brief moment as he held his staff close to his face. He hummed and spoke several words in a language Blayze did not understand before he went back to holding the staff with one hand.

"Hm, nothing. It's as if our connection has been cut off. All the more reason to hurry and reach the end of this tunnel."

Blayze nodded, once again forgetting that Weimar could not see him. Several more Mongos were guarding the way, forcing the duo to stop for a moment in order to fight them. The more they fought, the more their attack patterns became clearer, and each fight was easier than the last even when there were more than just one to deal with. But after a while, the ambushes stopped, and the rest of the way seemed clear. While this should have made them feel relieved, it only made them feel uneasy. There was simply no way it would suddenly get so easy.

"I don't like this," said Blayze, ready to attack anything with his flame sword at a moment's notice. "Why did they stop coming. They know we're down here, and they could flush us out in a heartbeat if they sent dozens of them at once."

Weimar rubbed his beard. "Perhaps the Witch of Tears does not have such a large force at her disposal. Ha! If her greatest strength is her snow giants, we may be able to get through this without any mayor problems. As long as we don't run into her, we'll be…"

As he trailed off, both men stopped walking. The tunnel had begun shaking. While barely noticeable, it was quite obvious it meant nothing good was coming their way.

Blayze readied his bow and was ready to summon another flame sword if the time called for it. Weimar's staff glowed, also prepared to attack anything that showed its face in the darkness. As the shaking grew, it was safe to assume a lot of them were coming their way. And even worse, they could have been coming from both directions.

But that would have been too easy.

There was no time to prepare for what actually awaited them. In the blink of an eye, the roof of the tunnel caved in above them, allowing them only a split second to jump out of the way of the rubble. Weimar landed on top of Blayze, knocking them both on their backs. But to the wizard's fortune, and misfortune, the shape of what appeared to be a large hand came through the newly created hole and snatched him away to the surface before he could be burned.

He was still groggy from the initial impact, but Blayze still found it in himself to stand up and follow after whatever took Weimar. The sky could be seen as he stepped below the hole, and several snowflakes landed on his fiery skin, melting on impact. But there was no time to worry about pain. He simply boosted himself out of the tunnel with his flames.

Outside, he was met with the full force of the cold winds. From what little time he had to analyze his surroundings, it was clear he was within Windar's main courtyard.

They had made it past the walls, and the fortress itself was within reach. The main door was within sight, and Blayze could have just dashed towards it at full speed. However, it would not be that simple. Aside from the fact that the courtyard was filled with hundreds of Mongos waiting for him, one particularly large one had Weimar in its grasp.

The fortress seemed much larger up close, and far more menacing. Its spires were like the dead fingers of a hand trying to reach out into the sky, and the mountain that it was built into was a monument of pure terror by itself from how large it was. The black walls made them hard to see, but Blayze knew countless Mongos were walking along them on their way to join the ambush.

Weimar grunted as the beast holding him roared. "Boy!" he shouted. "My senses are not as good without my staff. What's happening right now?!"

Blayze noticed the staff in question lying on the snow right in front of the behemoth. "Just hold tight, old man," he said. "Things are about to get ugly."

"DON'T CALL ME OLD!" shouted Weimar.

As the Mongos began to surround the elemental, he readied his bow and began to fire away.

* * *

Finn's worry was understandable, but having him nervously pacing back in forth in such a tiny cell was beginning to make Jake uneasy.

"Finn, can you please sit down?" begged the dog. "Being hungry is starting to make me dizzy and you walking around isn't helping."

"How can I possibly keep calm right now? Have you forgotten that HUNTRESS GOT TAKEN AWAY? We can't keep waiting for Weimar; we have to come up with some way out."

Jake leaned forward, forming a fake smile on his face. "Okay then, how do we do that?"

As expected, the human had nothing to offer. He continued his pacing instead.

Ice King was still asleep in his cell, but Finn and Jake were almost sure it was just that. Sleeping. The effects of the shock he had received early had worn off, and now the old ice wizard was catching some proper shut-eye. It did not help the situation, but then again, there was really no expecting some sort of help to come from him even if he was awake. In fact, he would probably just be an annoyance.

Jake sighed as he continued to watch the worried human. "Look, I'm sorry I'm being such a downer right now. I'm just really mad that we can't do squat right now. Normally cells aren't a problem but this witch, whoever she is, thought of everything. Everything! It's like she knew we were gonna run into her or something."

"Yeah," Finn said, looking down at the marking on his right hand. "She does seem to know a lot more than we think…"

Finn continued to look at his marking, and then the bars to the cell, and then back to the marking again. One of his eyebrows raised and his tongue pressed against the side of his cheek from the inside.

"But maybe she doesn't know _everything_ ," he said.

It was a long shot, but Finn thought it was better than doing nothing. As Jake watched his actions in confusion, the human raised his right hand and placed the palm against the barrier enforcing the cell's exit. He then closed his eyes and focused as much as he could, attempting to push out all thoughts of anger, worry, frustration that could cloud his mind. As he did, the words that the Phantom had said in his dreams returned to him.

" _And the day will come when you may bend the earth to your will, calm a roaring ocean, and tame a thundering sky."_

Finn was hesitant to believe such power even existed. But after all that he had been through, there was really no way to be one-hundred percent sure of anything. If he really could wield such abilities, even by the smallest amount, he had to try. Somehow, maybe the mark of the Shadowed One was more than just a blemish on his skin, and more than just a pretty light whenever it glowed.

As he reopened his eyes, he imitated Jake with the same look of shock on his face.

His entire hand was glowing purple this time, not just the mark, and its light spread to the rest of the ward it currently touched. Like the time when he opened the door to enter the Order of the Crow's hideout, multiple tendrils of this light spread out across the entire surface. It started out small at first, but then it kept expanding to the point where the ward surrounding the cell was no longer invisible, and the two adventurers were left staring in awe at the beautiful aurora of light that swirled over their heads and under their feet. And with a bright flash that made them both cover their eyes, it was over. The light was gone and the cell was back to looking the same way it did before. But neither of them needed to say a word for Jake to know what to do.

The canine expanded his hand to giant proportions and smashed through the metal bars, knocking them away with such force that they crashed against the ward that was still surrounding Ice King's cell. The noise startled the wizard awake.

"Huh?! What?! What are you two doing over theeeeeeeere-How did you break through that cell?!"

Finn smirked, walking out of his own cell to place his hand on Ice King's. "You should know by now, Ice King. Cells aren't really something that can hold us back."

After Finn repeated the same process and Jake was able to break through the bars, Ice King needed a brief moment to process what had just happened before he mustered up the strength to stand up and float out of his imprisonment.

"Alright, we're free!" Jake shouted triumphantly, high fiving Finn.

"Whoo! Teamwork!" Ice King shouted, raising his own hand for a high five that never came as Finn and Jake conversed with each other.

"So what now?" Jake asked.

"We find the Witch, kick her butt, save Huntress, and get out."

The dog nodded. "Pretty straightforward. Let's go."

After sighing in disappointment at the lack of a high five, Ice King followed closely behind the two heroes as they headed deeper into the heart of Windar.

* * *

 **Note: I deeply apologize if the length of these chapters doesn't make up for the inexcusably long waiting times between updates. Personal life has me extremely busy and I don't have as much time to write as I would like. Plus it doesn't help that I've been feeling down and uninspired lately. Rest assured, however, I'm still around and plan to keep going.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: He probably will need all of Ooo on his case soon enough...**

 **Next Chapter: Glimpse**


	16. Chapter 16: Glimpse

**Chapter 16: Glimpse**

Even after managing to escape from their confinement, the narrow halls of Windar made Finn, Jake, and Ice King feel as if they were still trapped. Technically this was the truth, but the entire structure as a whole required little study to know it was always intended to be built as some sort of prison. The human dreaded to think what it was like in its heyday, when it was not ruled by mindless and tortured beasts. But the idea of it being either better or worse now was debatable. Either way, there was no denying that this was and still is a place of evil.

So far they had managed to avoid running into any Mongos patrolling the halls. It was odd, to say the least. Where had they all gone? Were the Witch's forces really not as strong as they initially thought? Maybe most of them stayed behind in Oldtown. Somehow, it was doubtful that this was the case. Nevertheless, they kept moving forward, determined to find Huntress, defeat the Witch if necessary, and get out.

' _Simple enough,'_ thought Finn as they walked. He hoped that would be the truth, but after their quick capture in Oldtown due to the Mongos' overwhelming numbers, things would probably not be so clear cut.

The human's footsteps echoed through the halls, which made him uneasy that their enemies would hear them before they had the chance to surprise them. Jake's soft paws gave no such effect, but the real cause of noise was Ice King's beard flapping up and down in order to keep him afloat.

"Ice King, can't you just walk?" Finn asked.

"But my legs hurt from sitting on the hard ground so much," he whined.

"Your beard is gonna give us away."

That was a sentence Finn thought he would never have to say in his life. Even Jake seemed slightly amused by it. Despite his annoyance, Ice King ultimately did as he asked and stopped flying, now walking normally beside the two heroes.

When they came to a corner, Finn firmly placed his back against the wall while slowly peeking his head around the corner. He was only able to scout ahead for a few seconds before he needed to hide his head again, but even with the short amount of time he had to look, what awaited ahead was clear. Mongos.

Two of them. Not much of a problem except for the fact that Finn had no weapon to defend himself with against their sharp claws. Jake could have probably just stretched out his arm finish them off with a single blow, but the halls were still too narrow for a proper swing from any direction. And one side of the walls had a row of windows which, is shattered on impact, would create too much noise. As much as he hated it, if they wanted to keep moving without waking the entirety of the fortress and be chased by a bloodthirsty army, they had to rely on Ice King to take them out from afar without being seen.

"Ice King, you think you can shoot some ice spikes at those guys from here?" Finn asked in a whisper.

The wizard chuckled. "Can I shoot…Stand aside and let me show you how it's done, baby."

Finn and Jake did as he said and took a few steps back, allowing him to stand at the edge of the corner. He raised his hand and it began to glow, signaling that he was ready to unleash bolts of ice. Then, after taking a quick breath, he jumped out of the corner, but instead of ice being hurled towards the Mongos, the only sound present was Ice King's own shriek of terror as one of them leaped at him.

Finn was the first to react. As the ice wizard struggled to push away the monster trying to bite him, the human kicked it away with such force that its body went through and shattered one of the windows decorating the hall, allowing the extremely cold winds from outside blow in along with countless snowflakes.

The other Mongo followed quickly, but Jake punched it away with his enlarged fist before it was able to reach either Finn or Ice King.

"So much for being stealthy!" Jake said, shouting against the loud howling coming from outside.

Finn helped Ice King stand from the ground and turned to his brother. "We better split before more of them show up!"

Jake and Ice King followed closely behind as Finn led the way. Several other Mongos were patrolling the halls and blocking their paths, but a quick mix of brawn, size, and magic disposed of them quickly enough. Whenever they ran into a flight of stairs, they always took the route leading further down, hoping that they would be able to find their way around easier if they made it to the castle's main hall. But the further they went, the more Mongos there were patrolling their path forward.

In a stroke of good fortune, one of the halls was decorated with shields and weapons hanging from its walls. Finn grabbed the most reasonably sized blade he could find, along with a small rounded shield, which was a bit rusted but did the job when it came to defending from enemy attacks. The sword definitely needed some sharpening as well, but it was a lot better than trying to fight with his bare fists.

After kicking one last Mongo through a wooden door, the three of them now found themselves in Windar's main hall, immediately spotting Huntress lying face down on the ground while the Witch of Tears remained seated on her massive throne.

"Huntress!" Finn exclaimed as he dashed to help his fallen friend.

"Dude, wait!" shouted Jake, but the human would not listen.

The two large Mongos standing beside the throne began moving forward to attack, but instead remained in their current position with a quick raise of the Witch's hand. Suspicious as it was, Finn still carelessly knelt next to Huntress and turned her around, but was immediately forced to jump back towards Ice King and Jake in shock of what he saw.

Huntress' eyes, which were once green and vibrant enough to glow even in the darkest places, were now as black as the Witch's own. Several tendrils of the same color covered the area around them, making seem like her very life had been sucked out from them. She was breathing, but it was very weak and raspy every time her chest moved up and down.

Jake and Ice King continued to stare in shock at her condition, but Finn only became more enraged and turned to face the Witch, sword and shield in hand.

"What did you do to her?!"

The hair that was covering her face made it impossible to tell what expression she was currently making, or if she was even looking at them at all. She simply ignored the human and continued to play with the doll in her hands, which only served to make him angrier.

"Turn Huntress back to normal or I swear I'll cut your head clean off! I don't care if you look like a kid, but you aren't one!"

She stopped caressing the doll at that moment. The eerie silence enveloping the room, save for the howling of the winds still coming from outside, created an aurora of tension that enveloped everyone who was present.

"I don't like this," Ice King whispered, cowering behind Jake. "This is the part where something really bad usually happens in all the fanfictions I write."

As the Witch's head turned ever so slowly towards the human, he stood his ground and continued to stare directly at her without showing fear. But this quickly changed when she raised her left arm forward and he felt like something had wrapped itself around his throat, causing him to drop his weapons.

Neither Jake nor Ice King had any chance to react before Finn was pulled towards her at full speed, coming to a sudden halt when his face was merely inches from hers.

"Finn!" shouted Jake.

He and Ice King dashed forward to help their fellow human, but they came to a halt when both large Mongos charged forward and blocked their path. They were quick to understand why the Witch chose them as her guardians; no matter how hard Ice King tried to fly around them or Jake tried to stretch through them, their lighting quick reflexes, despite their size, were too quick to get through.

Meanwhile, Finn continuously struggled to break free from the Witch's grasp, but to no avail. Using the hand she was not grabbing his with, she took hold of his right hand and pulled it closer to her. And for a brief moment, he could swear he heard a small gasp come from her as she laid eyes on the marking etched to his skin.

She studied it for a moment, and then let go of his hand once more. The hair that was blocking her face was moved out of the way by her, and Finn's eyes widened to their fullest capacity when he noticed her eyes were no longer the same black ones she had before.

They were the ones that once belonged to Huntress.

"Shadowed One…" she said, looking surprised.

With Finn completely vulnerable and not able to fight back, she placed her hand upon his cheek, and the scorching pain that immediately followed made his scream to the top of his lungs.

"No!" Jake exclaimed while fighting against one of the behemoths. "Let him go!"

Finn's entire face felt like it was burning. But it was not the burning of fire; it was more the burning of extreme cold. As the seconds went by and the pain continued, he could no longer muster the strength to keep his eyes open and shut them, leaving him staring at nothing but darkness. And for a moment, he thought this as it. This was the end.

But then, the pain began to ease, and his heavy breathing began to slow. He could no longer feel the Witch's icy fingers grasping his head, the air around him suddenly grew rather warm, and all of the commotion with his friends calling his name turned into nothing but the soft breeze of a gentle wind. Said wind was also not as cold as the one he had experienced prior. This time, it was warm and rather comforting.

Slowly, he began to reopen his eyes, but he realized that the world around him had changed.

The stone walls of Windar were gone, along with the Witch and the rest of his friends. His feet were once again planted firmly on solid ground, despite distinctly remembering being picked up. For a brief moment he thought he was somehow standing outside in the snow, but a quick study of his surroundings proved otherwise.

The land was barren and gray, devoid of any life for miles around. There were mountains far in the distance, with surfaces that appeared as black as the night sky and shaped in such a way that made them look like the sharp teeth of a horrible beast. The sun was clouded by large clouds in the sky, but they were not rainclouds. And from the darkened sky, there was no snow falling towards the earth. Instead, it was ash.

It littered the ground in every direction, despite there being no volcano in sight that could have created it. But despite the fact that Finn was currently standing in a whole new land, the weirdest occurrence was that the ash particles were phasing right through his skin, landing on the ground normally even when he tried raising his hand to catch them.

"Wha…Where am I? How did I even…WHAT?"

They were questions he probably should have asked himself sooner, but even now he was still too dumbfounded by the current situation to properly think.

He darted his head from side to side, trying to find anyone else in the area. "Hello? Jake?! Ice King?! ANYONE?!"

His voice echoed, and no response ever came. Had the Witch somehow teleported him to some place far away? Could her powers really be that great? If that was the case, were his friends still fighting for their lives while he just stood here? Or maybe…was this all in his head?

Maybe the Witch took control over his mind as she did with Huntress, and now he was trapped in some kind of mental prison. Ironic, considering he was in the process of breaking out of yet another imprisonment. It seemed there was no end to his streak of being locked up for reasons he was still unclear of. Then again, maybe he was dead and was granted an afterlife in a somewhat nicer Dead World than the one he had visited once before.

Or maybe he was entirely wrong and everything around him was beyond his understanding.

In any case, one thing was clear: Finn needed to find some way back. But where would he even start when the wasteland around him was completely unknown?

He sighed. "Great. I set out on a simple trip to Wizard City and end up getting myself and my friends locked up; we escape, only to end up locked up again; and now, for some reason, I'm left standing in the middle of nowhere. Huntress got all messed up. And I'm probably dead, along with all the others, and with no way of getting my bearings. UGH! Why must my life be so…"

Before his rant could continue, a thought returned to his mind. As he laid eyes once more on the mysterious marking engraved on his hand, he remembered more words that the Phantom had spoken to him in his slumber.

" _Underneath the crow's shadow. Where there is no fire, no life…no hope. Only ash and death."_

Finn failed to see most of what was said in that sentence, but one thing was clear: there was definitely ash. And if her definition of life was plants and vegetation, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Could this…be the place?" he wondered.

There were too many things to ponder all at once. However, these thoughts were overshadowed when a distant commotion reached Finn's ears. It was very faint, but it was a noise he recognized instantly no matter how far. The sound of massive wings flapping in the wind, carrying massive beast across the sky. But this was accompanied by something else. It appeared over a hill close by; a horse, red with a mane that as set ablaze with vibrant flames, carrying a hooded figure on its back.

The figure's cloak was as red as the horse he rode, and there was no need for him to be close for the shine of his sword hanging from his hip to be seen. Was he a fire elemental? Whatever the case, based on the speed in which the horse was going, it was safe to assume the rider was trying to escape from someone. Or something.

It was not long before the looming threat appeared over the same hill. It was big, about the size of an average house, with black scales covering its entire body. Its eyes were dark purple, and glowed liker beacons even from how far away and small they were. As it roared, it somehow made it look even more menacing as it showed its razor sharp black teeth.

A dragon. Although not like the dragons Finn had usually encountered during his adventures. While this one still had its hind legs, its wings replaced its front ones.

The beast breathed flames at the rider. But unsurprisingly, they had no effect on the rider or horse themselves. Unfortunately for them, the fires still served to blind the path ahead, and the rider was thrown from his saddle as his mount tripped on a rock that was in its path.

As the rider masterfully rolled to land on his feet, the dragon was able to swoop down from above and grab the horse in its maw, snapping it in half before it even had the chance to exclaim in terror, and its remaining body parts lost all of their flames and ended up turning to ash as they fell towards the ground.

When the dragon began to circle above the clouds for another attack, the cloaked figure unsheathed his sword and took a battle stance. Now being at a closer distance, Finn was able to gaze at the weapon's beautiful craftsmanship. It almost reminded him of his old Demon Blood sword from how red the blade was, but the handle and cross guard were as black as the scales of the beast he was preparing to fight. Several glowing orange runes-around four from what Finn could tell-were etched on the blade, though he could only guess as to what exactly they were for. Another detail he noticed was the satchel strapped over his shoulder, which seemed to be emanating an odd multi-colored glow from the inside.

Finn would have stepped in to help, but he had no weapon he could use to fight. All he could do was just stand and watch as the battle unfolded. Plus, he doubted he could even do anything to touch it seeing as how the ash particles were still going right through him. In fact, it was even debatable if either of them could even see him. All he could do was lay back and watch as the events before him unfolded.

The dragon came swooping down from the sky once more at breakneck speed, heading towards the hooded figure. In turn, he took a firm grip of the sword with both hands, holding the blade merely inches away from his still hidden face.

A roar filled the air as the dragon opened his maws, preparing to bite down on its prey as it descended. From how fast it was going, Finn failed to see how the mysterious figure before him could stand any chance of fighting. By this point, even he would have realized it was probably best to start running. But he was immediately proven wrong.

Just as the dragon's maws were about to close and snatch the figure away, he used his flame powers to boost himself to the side at the very last second. The only trace of him that stayed behind was the sword's blade, which was now cutting its way across the beast's entire lower abdomen all the way down to its tail, spreading its black blood all across the ground.

As the beast's severed body landed on the ground with great force, Finn could hardly believe what he had seen. An entire dragon, cut completely in half with a single swing of a sword. He had never even come close to accomplishing such a feat.

Even after being stained, the runes present on the figure's crimson blade still shined brightly through the muck. He gave it a quick swing in the air to wipe some of it away, and then cleaned off the rest with a peace of his cloak.

"Whoa," Finn said, amazed by the performance he had just witnessed. "You just took that thing out like it was nothing!"

Despite raising his voice in praise, the figure never turned his head to look in the human's direction. Instead, his gaze turned back to the sky as the sound of thunder boomed in the distance, followed by the clouds getting darker by the second. Judging by the fact that the figure took a battle stance once more, Finn could tell this was still not over.

As every cloud in the sky darkened, it became nearly impossible to see anything. If it were not for the orange glow of the cloaked figure, Finn would have thought he was going blind. But it was not only the orange glow that reassured him of this, it was also the lighting crashing from the sky.

It was already clear this was more than just an ordinary storm, but the fact that the color of the lighting flashes were purple instead of blue only strengthened the fact.

"What's happening?" Finn asked. Once again, there was no answer. He was pretty much asking himself at this point.

His question was answered no too long after. From the pitch blackness of the sky above, the purple glow of the thunder began to intensify, along with the force of the winds. It began to look like a maelstrom was forming right above their heads, but it was an illusion. It was so big that it looked like it was really close, when in fact in was far away. And as Finn squinted his eyes, he could see something come out of the center of this giant breach in the sky.

It looked like a ball of fire, but purple like the rest of the light around it. The human took several steps back, noticing it was heading right towards the cloaked figure. However, instead of moving as well, he simply remained with his sword at the ready as the ball of fire crashed several meters in front of him, lifting up hundreds of ash particles off the ground from the sheer force of the impact. Some of the dust blew against Finn's face, but even though it went right through him, he still got the urge to cough.

The cloaked figure remained in place, not having moved a single inch despite everything that was happening. As the dust settled, the silhouette of a shadowy figure could be seen through the remaining flames. But when the strange being began to emerge from the crater, Finn realized he was not looking at a shadow at all. He practically _was_ a shadow. It was almost as if the smoke had come to life and taken a form of its own.

From the torso down, there were no legs, just a mass of black fluid that wriggled around against the earth to move the being around. From the torso up, however, he resembled a man. Defined arms, torso, a head with no visible hair; the only difference was that his face carried no humanoid features at all. Instead, underneath his piercing, purple eyes, there was what seemed to resemble the beak of a crow. And his most noticeable feature, aside from the fact that he was easily over six feet tall, were the large, black-feathered wings expanding from his back, each reaching a length of at least three meters.

But as if Finn was not surprised enough, what followed caught him even more by surprise.

As the shadowy being raised his right hand to point at the cloaked figure before him, which was as slim as a skeleton's and had sharp nails nearly three times the size of normal ones, the very same marking that Finn had on his own hand was present on it.

" _ **Traitor,"**_ the shadowy being spoke. While there were elements of an ordinary man's voice, there was a certain distortion to it that made it sound like something straight out of a nightmare.

" _ **I opened my doors to you. I welcomed you with open arms, and loved you more than anyone I have ever loved before. I gave you and your people the greatest gift I could ever give! And this is how you repay me?! By spitting in my face and running away with what is rightfully mine?! I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT! NOT IN MY WORLD!"**_

Despite the obvious anger present in his voice, the red cloaked figure did not budge. In fact, his battle stance dropped completely and just stood normally before the impending threat. Then, with one swift motion, he grabbed his hood and lifted it off his face. And "he" turned out to be a "she". But it was not just any she.

It was Flame Princess.

A more mature Flame Princess, to add to Finn's already immense confusion. She looked to be around her twenties or so. Definitely not the one he saw in Fire Kingdom a few weeks earlier. Nevertheless, the comparison of everything else was an exact match. From her red eyes, to her candle-like hair, to just her overall beauty.

"Loved me?" she said with a slight chuckle. Her voice sounded more mature as well, though Finn could still hear traces of the old one. "Don't be stupid. You never loved me. You only ever used me for your own selfish gain!" She took the satchel with the white light within and help it up. "And you do not have any right to this! Nor do you have any right to rule over anything; especially the entire world!"

The being's eyes narrowed even more, and his fist clenched with ever-growing rage. _**"I have every right. And I'm still willing to share it with you. I have given you everything!"**_

"And yet you've also taken away my freedom! And that of my people!" She gestured to everything around her. "Look around. These fields used to be filled with lush green grass, flowing rivers, and the sun shined down on it on any day where it was not raining. Now? Now all of that beauty is gone. It's ruined, and nothing but a wasteland because of your misuse of power."

He stood closer, and she stood back in turn. _**"I haven't ruined anything. My view of beauty is just different than yours."**_

"This isn't beauty. This is just plain madness."

The shadowy being took a few more steps forward. _**"And what about Zorah?"**_

Flame Princess' expression immediately dropped at the mention of that name.

" _ **Would you leave her behind just to go on a pointless crusade? I'm not afraid to hurt someone, even if they are close to me. You know that well."**_

Despite being obviously hurt, she still managed to regain her determined look, and only appeared disgusted by his words. As she allowed her satchel to hang over her shoulder once more, she raised her sword and prepared to fight once more.

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the good of the land," she said. "No matter your intentions, you are not getting the Heart back!"

It was clear the shadowy figure was enraged, and not just because of his expression. At Flame Princess' words, the lighting became even more violent, and the thunder became louder.

" _ **So be it. One way or another, you won't be leaving Asirda with it."**_

The insignia on his hand glowed even brighter, and the light emanating from it began to take on a form of its own. Eventually, that form became clear, and now, as if summoned from thin air, he held a sword.

Its craftsmanship was unlike anything Finn had seen before. The blade looked as if it were crafted with the most polished amethyst in existence, its cross guard was as black as his own skin with a small amethyst pearl resting in its center, and the end of its handle looked sharp enough to bash into someone's skull without needing to get the blade itself dirty. All in all, as far as swords went, his looked to be pretty menacing.

As Finn stood to watch the two of them ready to fight before him, a disturbing thought crawled its way into his mind. One that he had considered the moment he had seen the crow marking on the shadowy being's hand, but continuously refused it. Now, there was no denying the possibility.

' _Is that guy…me?'_

Was it possible that the Witch of Tears' intent was to show him events that were yet to come? Was this all just some sort of vision showing events that were yet to pass? The thought of it made him shiver to the bone.

Whatever the case, there was little time to reflect on it. As the shadowy being dashed forward at full speed with his blade ready to strike Flame princess, she raised her own with just as quick reflexes to block the incoming blow. However, just as the two swords connected, a blinding flashed enveloped Finn, making him shield his eyes from the powerful rays.

Upon opening his eyes again, expecting to find a swordfight taking place, he was back once again floating in an empty void of darkness, with the only source of light available was the glowing mark on his hand.

He remained there, in the darkness, doing nothing but just staring into the endless void. Everything he had just witnessed created a vortex of infinite questions inside his mind, and none of them had a legitimate answer. Had he really just seen a glimpse of the future? Was this really the fate that awaited him? The fate that awaited _everyone_ that was close to him as long as that accursed mark remained on his hand? There was just no logical way he could see himself as such a heartless and powerful monster.

But at that moment, continuing to look at the marking present on his hand, he realized what had to be done.

Even if his theory was wrong somehow, the marking could not stay etched in his skin any longer. This fact was undeniable. Whoever the phantom in his dreams is, whatever her intentions are, it did not matter anymore. Finn would continue on his journey to find her, but rather than seeking the power she promised, he would do whatever was necessary to get the marking removed. Permanently.

"I won't turn into a tyrant," he said, hoping the Witch of Tears and the Phantom were both listening somehow. "This is not my future! And I also won't turn into this 'Shadowed One' that people brag so much about! You hear me? NEVER!"

As his voice echoed in the darkness, a single name was whispered inside his mind. Whether it was from the Phantom of the Witch was uncertain, but it was clear nonetheless.

 _Keno…_

* * *

 **Note: After giving it some thought, I've decided that the story will remain at a T rating. Any parts that I deem too mature, expect them in separate one-shots.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: I'm glad as well.**

 **-An Amber Pen: Thanks. I appreciate your understanding.**

 **-Awolfx9: Will do.**

 **Next Chapter: The Oldest Tales**


	17. Chapter 17: The Oldest Tales

**Chapter 17: The Oldest Tales**

"Princess. Princess, I think he's waking up!"

The words were muffled and echoed in Finn's ear, but it would take more than being groggy for him to not recognize Jake's voice.

A blinding light hung over him, making it hard for his vision to adjust. He could feel the soft fabric of a bed underneath him, but it did little to ease some of the pain he felt through his entire body, minor as it was, but still inconvenient. Upon turning his head to the left with a groan, he could see the needle that was currently inserted into the back of his hand, along with several patches connected to a beeping heart monitor. The prisoner clothing that he had been wearing since leaving Wizard City was gone, now replaced with a pinkish coat.

Faint footsteps caused him to turn his head back forward, allowing him to see the pink outline of none other than Princess Bubblegum.

The shadow she casted from blocking the bright light over the human gave him the chance necessary to properly open his eyes, allowing for him to properly study the monarch currently wearing her usual white lab coat. She wore round glasses, but she kept them leaning over her forehead rather than using them for her actual eyes. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, but the rather unkempt state of it suggested she had been working hard as usual.

"Finn, can you hear me?" she asked. Hearing her voice after facing certain death was always a welcome relief. Most of the time.

"Ugh, where am I?" Finn asked groggily while raising his hand up to his aching head.

"The Candy Kingdom hospital," she replied. "I've been monitoring your condition ever since Jake and the others brought you here." She chuckled. "You gave us all quite the scare."

Finn's eyes immediately widened to their fullest extent at the mention of his friends and immediately sat up on the bed, startling the princess. "Jake! Ice King! Where-OW!"

The pain across his body increased immensely with the sudden movement. Princess Bubblegum gently grabbed him by the shoulders and helped him lie back down.

"Take it easy," she said. "Give your body time to adjust before moving too much."

He did as she asked, but it did not help to ease his worries. "Where's everyone else?"

"Right here," Jake said while walking up to the side of Finn's bed. "You really had us all worried there, man."

Finn forced himself to lightly smile, glad that his brother was still okay.

"Indeed, but the human continues to impress," said a familiar voice.

The human turned his head to see Weimar standing next to Princess Bubblegum, holding his wooden staff. But what he was not expecting was to also see Blayze standing next to him as well.

"You?!" he said, motioning to Weimar. He then faced Blayze. "AND YOU?!"

There was no denying that Finn was surprised to see the elemental in the same room. Even if he was not the same as last he saw him. His clothing was shattered in multiple areas, clear signs of a power struggle. There were also several fireproof bandages placed around his arm shoulder and leg, both slightly stained with the lava that passed for blood in the Fire Kingdom. But his expression was still the same; calm, collected, showing no surprise involving Finn's shocking upon seeing him.

"Good to see you're still breathing," Blayze said, smirking. "If Weimar and I had taken a few seconds longer getting to you guys, we would've probably all died."

"Getting to us?" Finn asked. He turned to face the blind wizard. "Wait, you brought _him_ with you to save us? Why?"

Weimar rubbed the orb atop his staff before replying. "Let's just say that, while he does not realize it, his fate ties closely to yours."

 _Fate._ Finn's anger only grew at the mere thought of the word after witnessing what the Witch of Tears had to show him at Windar. But his anger immediately changed to confusion when he began to wonder how they were even able to exactly get out of the situation alive. Before he could ask, however, a more important question came to his mind.

"Where's Huntress?!"

Everyone looked at each other, expressions of clear worry present on their faces. The princess, Blayze, and Weimar moved out of the way so Finn could see the hospital bed a few rows away from his, where the huntress in question was currently at rest.

Despite the pain still present around his body, and Bubblegum's insistence that he stayed in bed, he removed the needle that was in his arm and stood up, relying on Jake to help him remain afoot as he limped towards his fallen friend. He saw Ice King on one of the beds as well, but the ice wizard seemed to be taking a simple nap rather than being medically attended to. The human paid him no mind.

When Jake managed to get him to Huntress' bed, Finn thanked him and supported himself from the metal bars next to it. He studied her carefully, since he was not able to during their confrontation at Windar. Her eyes were closed, but the black tendrils were still clinging on to her green skin like roots from a tree clinging to the earth. Her breathing was still raspy, but it was steady. And the heart monitor beeping next to her showed that her vitals were at least stable.

"Huntress, can you hear me?" Finn whispered, leaning in closer.

She must have heard him to some extent because her soulless black eyes began to slightly open. The words from her mouth came out in quiet and incoherent mumbles as she raised her hand slowly. Finn did the sensible thing and gently grabbed it, but she was too weak to squeeze back and hold his.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked the princess without taking his eyes off Huntress.

"I'm not entirely sure," she replied. "Something was done to her by this 'Witch' you encountered, if I heard Jake's story correctly. I tried tending to her as best I could, but…she can't really function properly at the moment."

Finn sighed. It pained him emotionally to see her so weak. "This is all my fault."

"Come on, dude, no it's not," Jake reassured while placing a hand on the human's shoulder.

"It is. I got us all into this mess. I should've just let the whole thing be and never bothered to look into it."

No one commented further. Not even Princess Bubblegum, despite her obvious interest in the marking on the human's hand, which he assumed was pointless to hide any longer. After hearing Huntress mumble a few more words before going back to sleep, he gently placed her hand back down and turned to face everyone else.

"So what exactly happened?" he asked. "How did we manage to escape from Windar?"

Jake stepped forward, rubbing the back of his head. "After the Witch finished doing…whatever it is she was doing to you, she just let go of you and you landed on the floor without moving. I was worried that she had killed you, but then…"

As Jake trailed off, Blayze continued for him. "After dealing with some…unpleasantness outside, Weimar and I managed to make it inside the throne room. We saw Jake and Ice King both fighting two huge versions of those monsters. We beat them, after getting a few bruises, and managed to get to close enough to you so we could drag you away. But then, things got…weird."

Finn raised an eyebrow. He was not exactly very fond of Blayze, for the childish reason of him being Flame Princess' suitor, but he was still interested in what he had to say. "Weird how?"

Blayze collected his thoughts before resuming with his story. "The Witch, she…let us go."

The human was taken back. He turned to face his brother, who nodded in conformation of what Blayze had just said. "What do you mean 'let us go'?"

"After we grabbed you and Huntress, we began getting surrounded by a multitude of those creatures. Mongos, were they called? I couldn't even count them. Dozens? Hundreds? Whatever the case, there was no leaving without a fight. But then, just as we readied ourselves for a tough fight, the Witch called them all off and ordered them to step aside. We were confused, but we didn't even question it. We just took the chance and left. Not even the ice giants we had faced on the outskirts before arriving tried to tackle us. We simply went through the Door Lord's…well, door, and we were back home. We brought both of you here to the Candy Kingdom immediately. It's been eleven hours since then."

There were several details Finn did not fully understand in his story, such as the ice giants and how they managed to get the help of a Door Lord, but he never questioned it. He got all of the information necessary. Well, most of it.

"I take it the Witch is still alive, then?" he asked.

Blayze nodded. "Taking her on right then and there would've been suicide. So yes, she lives…for now."

 _For now_. Finn had to somewhat admire the elemental's belief that the battle was not yet over. And he had to agree. The Witch had a lot to answer for, especially for what she did to Huntress. But it would have to wait, for there were bigger problems at hand. Literally; the marking still present on his palm.

"This thing has caused nothing but trouble ever since I got it. I thought it was a gift but it's just a curse by this point. Now all I want is for it to go away."

"How did you even get it in the first place?" Princess Bubblegum asked, with a face that showed she was extremely interested in any information regarding it. "I was running some tests on it while you were under and, to put simply for you guys, the 'magic' signature was completely off the charts. I've never seen anything quite like it even from some of the most experienced wizards in Ooo."

Finn looked at the marking. "You won't believe me if I told you."

The pink monarch crossed her arms. "Try me."

He tried his best to explain in detail how it all started. How he had a dream here a phantom resembling Flame Princess came to him and said those infamous words. _Find me where skin burns but there is no fire._ He also explained how she grabbed him by the hand and some sort of darkness began to envelop him before waking up. Weimar added in that the marking was only made visible after he had tinkered with it.

As expected, Bubblegum seemed indifferent about the whole thing, but she never showed signs of full disbelief.

"Hmm. Well, for now, all we can do is monitor it from time to time and see how it goes. This whole 'Shadowed One' mumbo-jumbo has everyone-OW!"

She winced as she held the spot on her head where Weimar had bonked her with his staff. "Mumbo-jumbo?! My dear girl, we are talking about one of the greatest historical events that transpired in this world! A tale as old as the land itself. One that dates back to centuries of war and bloodshed. Since before even The Lich arose to full power! And the human here is tied to all of it. It is his destiny to-"

"NO!" Finn shouted, startling everyone else in the room. Even Ice King, who snorted and sat up on his bed. "I don't care about any 'ancient history' and I don't want to fulfill whatever prophecy this marking entitles. I want it gone!"

The human winced as he grasped the side of his head in pain. He lost some of his balance before Princess Bubblegum held his shoulders to keep him straight.

"Finn, don't strain yourself," she told him with worry. "You haven't fully recovered yet and I haven't had time to fully analyze your state while conscious."

He pushed her hands away. "I'm fine."

Weimar was taken back for a moment on account of the human's outburst, but ultimately ended up grinning widely. "My dear boy, if you want the marking removed, there is still a lot you must face in the road ahead. But I warn you, one does not simply escape their fate. Many have tried, and many have failed. You are no different. The Great Crow will not abandon its chosen vessel so easily, and neither will _she_."

Finn felt his anger drop, replaced with more confusion. "She? What does that mean?"

"I'm afraid I cannot give you _all_ of the answers," he replied while leaning on his staff. "But if you really want to know more, there is someone who could offer some extra clearance than what I could offer. One whose destiny is just as tied to that marking as much as you are."

The human eyed Weimar as he walked closer to Huntress' bed. "Who?"

"The ruler of the land in flames. Phoebe, I believe is her name." He snickered. "That rhymed."

Everyone grew wide-eyed at the mention of Flame Princess, none more so than Finn and Blayze.

"What would she know about any of this?" the elemental asked.

Rather than responding, Weimar slowly waved his staff around, sending out a green aurora from its orb that surrounded Huntress Wizard. Then, with a flick of his wrist, the covers were lifted from her body and she began to slightly float above the bed. Needless to say, everyone was shocked by the performance.

"Like I said, go ask the princess of flames," he said, still holding Huntress in place. "In the meantime, this is the last time we will speak for a while, Finn the Human. I will take my granddaughter to a safe place where I can hopefully find a way to better her condition. But from this point on, this journey is yours to take."

Finn narrowed his eyes, studying the wizard's words in his mind. "Forgive me if I don't seem to trust all that much, Weimar. But you haven't actually done anything to make me believe every word you say."

The blind wizard turned to face him, a wide smile spread across his wrinkled face. "Good. It is wise for one to not trust someone completely, no matter how well you think you might know them. It might help you in the long run."

With one last smile, Weimar began to walk back from the group while pulling Huntress along the air with his powers.

"Hey!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed. "You can't just take her with you. There's paperwork involved for leaving a hospital with a patient!"

"Pbbt, a wizard does not concern himself with such trifles, pinky." Weimar responded as he raised his staff higher.

"Wait!" Finn shouted, reaching out with his hand in the direction of the wizard. "Why can't you tell me anything else? What do you know that I don't?! Can't you at least tell me that much?"

Weimar only smiled. "All in good time, lad. You've always had a knack for solving the unsolvable on your own terms. Now, I must be off. POOF!"

With one swift motion, he slammed his staff against the ground, and a green cloud of smoke surrounded him and Huntress. Once it cleared and everyone stopped coughing from inhaling some of the cloud, they had both vanished.

"Pinky?" the princess muttered. "What does that even…Who was that guy?"

Finn groaned as he leaned against the side of his own bed. Some parts of his body still ached. "I wish I could tell you, but he just confuses me the more he speaks. And the only one who could tell us anything about him was just taken away and is in a coma."

"Well, whoever he is, I don't believe a single word out of his mouth. This is why I think magic is total bunk. It makes people think they know everything, when in reality it's just simple party tricks."

"Ugh, not again with this, PB," Jake groaned. "Leave 'em be and focus on helping out my bro."

"I'm fine, Jake. I just…" the human gently rubbed his head. "I just need a sec to get my head straight. Also, wearing anything aside from these hospital clothes would be nice. It's cold in here."

"Oh," Jake suddenly exclaimed, stretching himself to the other end of the room to grab something from a chair and bring it back. It was Finn's belongings; his clothing, his hat, his backpack, and his sword. "After bringing you here, I went on a quick trip back home to get your stuff back."

Finn took them all with pleasure, but he could not bring himself to smile. "Thanks."

"I really think you shouldn't be up yet, Finn," the princess said, concerned for the human's well-being. "But if you have to leave, at least promise me you'll get some rest soon."

"I've rested enough already. And justice never sleeps. Isn't that right, Jake?"

"Agreed," said Blayze. "If you recall, we have to go see Phoebe about figuring all of this out. Good thing too, cause I was planning to bring you to her anyway."

As Finn began to dig through his bag for some food and drink, he stopped when Blayze finished his statement.

"What do you mean you were planning to bring me back?" asked the human.

"I think Phoebe more than deserves to know why her suitor was forced to go save you from a witch in a snow-covered wasteland while accompanied by a deranged wizard. So not only are we going to ask some questions, you are going to give some answers in return."

Finn could feel some of his disdain for Blayze rise within him once more, but he hid it by turning his attention back to his backpack to pull out a half-empty bottle of water.

He took a few sips and turned his eyes to the elementals. "I suppose that's fair. But from what you told me, it sounds like I didn't need much saving from you to begin with."

Before he could get a good look at Blayze's reaction, Jake stretched himself behind Finn and pulled him closer.

"Dude, can you bring yourself to treat this guy nicely this one time?" the dog said in a whisper. "Your constant jealously isn't getting is anywhere."

Finn's face grew red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. "I'm not jealous!"

"Call it whatever you like, but please keep your feelings on the down low for the time being. No one finds your awkwardness around Flame Princess more hilarious than me, but even I know when poo stars to hit the fan. And if you keep going, there's gonna be an enormous mess to clean up."

Though he refused to admit out loud, Finn had to agree with his brother. His feelings for his ex were beginning to get the best of him, and he knew fully well that Blayze did them a favor by coming to their aid.

Before any more words could be exchanged, a sudden door opening caught everyone's attention, revealing a banana guard carrying what seemed to be a letter in his empty hand, while the other held a spear. From his lack of breath, and the abrupt manner in which he entered the room, it was clear he had run all the way here.

"Princess!" he saluted as he stopped in front of the gummy ruler. His breathing was heavy, and he struggled to complete full sentences. "I bring an important message…from the Floating Gems…Requires attention…Glob, I'm out of shape…"

The princess took the sealed letter in her hands with curiosity. "The Floating Gems? Is this from the Diamond Kingdom?"

The banana guard nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Finn and Jake had never been to the Floating Gems, but they had heard of them. Three enormous diamonds the size of islands located off Ooo's eastern coast. The Diamond Kingdom itself is supposed to be beautiful beyond imagining, but not many people can take the ship ride to go see it since tourism is not allowed. What news of such import was written inside the letter handed to the princess?

She turned to face everyone else. "I have to go see what this is, guys. You can go ahead and leave if you have to but remember, don't strain yourselves after your recent journey."

Everyone nodded, even if Finn could not confirm with one-hundred percent certainty that everything would turn out smoothly. And with that, the princess left them, off to attend to her duties of ruling the kingdom along with the banana guard.

"Alright then," said Blayze, breaking the silence. "If you feel up to it, we should start getting ready to head out. The day is still young, so we have plenty of time to visit the Fire Kingdom before night comes. Then we can all get the proper rest we need."

"What about me?" asked Ice King, floating next to everyone else. Finn had almost completely forgotten he was there the entire time.

"I don't think we'll really need you for the time being," Fin said. "I guess you can go back to the Ice Kingdom for now."

The ice wizard seemed a bit upset about leaving, but ultimately nodded. "Okay. You guys call me if we ever go on that road trip you promised. Kay?"

With that, Ice King flew out of the room as the sound of his beard flapping fading in the distance.

Finn spent the next several minutes getting ready in the bathroom. Donning his shirt, pants, backpack, and most importantly, his hat. Once that was done, he, Jake, and Blayze all made their way out of the candy hospital, being met immediately by the full force of the midday sun shining down upon them on the streets.

The human had to cover his eyes as they adjusted to the light. The air was suddenly filled with the joyous sound of chatter and laughter from the people that inhabited the kingdom. Several children ran past as they played with a bouncing ball, and on the far side of the streets, he could see several couples enjoying some milkshakes together in different tables set up just outside the shop. Overall, after everything that had transpired in the past week, being among the crowd of happy candy people once more brought a warm smile to Finn's face.

Several pedestrians kept their distance from the three in fear of Blayze. The elemental did not seem bothered by it, however. In fact, it almost seemed as if he was used to it.

Once the trio reached the main gate, they were bid farewell by the two banana guards standing watch at its sides, and they were now free to roam the lands of the Candy Kingdom at full pace. But before they could, Blayze stopped them in their tracks.

"Stand still, guys," he said.

Confused as to the elemental's intention, Finn and Jake followed his command. As he rubbed both of his palms together, Blayze then began to chant the flame shield spell, and cast it on the two adventurers, making them look blue as always.

Now protected from fire, Jake stretched to his large form, placed both Finn and Blayze on his back, and began his trek across the candy forest.

As they reached the Grasslands, Finn's mind was racing with all sorts of questions. The biggest one being if Weimar would be able to help Huntress with her condition. Just imagining the thought of seeing her as practically a lifeless corpse filled his mind with great worry.

"Jake?" said the human to gain his brother's attention. "Do you think Huntress will be okay?"

The dog replied while still walking. "Yeah, man. She's a tough one, I'm sure she'll pull through. Especially with her own grandpa looking out for her."

Whether that was true or not was debatable, but Finn appreciated the comfort nonetheless. He then leaned close enough for Blayze not to hear. "By the way, do you still have that map we found in Wizard City?"

Jake responded by simply raising his paw and showing the map in question still shaped into his skin, pinpointing an exact location within the Desert of Doom. Once all business within the Fire Kingdom was done, it was time to go there and find out what secrets might be held. But for now, more answers awaited with Flame Princess.

As the warm sun shined down upon the Grasslands, Finn, Jake, and Blayze made haste towards the Fire Kingdom.

* * *

The constant echoing of the Grand Master Wizard's fingers tapping against the armrest of his throne was the only sound withing his grand hall. There was the occasional ruffling as his pet cat rolled around on the floor while playing with its ball of yarn, but the room was mostly silent. The grand master had gone years without going into such a deep state of thought, but the current situation was too delicate to be ignored, and it made him uneasy with each passing day that Finn the Human was free and roaming around Ooo without leaving a single trace.

Suddenly, the silence broke as the giant doors into the hall were opened, allowing some light from the outside to momentarily enter before they were once again closed. the Grand Master's trustworthy captain of the wizard police came marching forward. He straightened himself on his throne as the smaller man stood straight before him.

"So?" the Grand Master asked. "Anything?"

"Yes, sir," the captain replied. "Our scouts have reported sightings of Finn the Human and several of his companions within the Candy Kingdom," he said. "We found him."

The Grand Master lowered his head in thought, then raised it to face his captain once more. "Send out a squadron. Discreetly; we don't want any other kingdoms to know of this. Their number one priority is to bring Finn the Human back no matter the cost. It would be preferable to have him remain alive, but if he refuses to cooperate and causes a problem...kill him. He must be stopped before he brings ruin upon us all."

The captain bowed and turned to make his way out of the palace once more. As the doors opened and closed with his departure, the Grand Master was once again left alone in the silence with his cat and the echoing of his tapping upon the armrest.

As the image of Finn came into his mind, his teeth barred in anger.

 _'Finn, may Glob forgive me if I must summon the Wardens to bring you down...'_

* * *

 **Note: I apologize for that small hiatus. But good news, I've officially started summer break, so hopefully I'll be able to update both this story and** _ **Sentinels**_ **more often. And maybe even finally finish the latter.**

 **-An Amber Pen: I definitely will. Thanks for the review.**

 **-Awolfx9: We shall see what transpires.**

 **Next Chapter: Split Journeys**


	18. Chapter 18: Split Journeys

**Chapter 18: Split Journeys**

The day could not have been going by more slowly. This was somewhat the norm when it came to hours of endless work being piled in front of Flame Princess, but today was different. It felt as if the world had slowed down to a near halt, and each minute was like an eternity.

Left and right, no matter where she walked, there was always someone with another task for her. Complaints about the prices of being sold in the local market, the arrangement of several balls being held by multiple high-valued individuals on different dates-balls which she needed to attend in order to secure healthy relations-and also manage the reinforcement of the kingdom's perimeter walls that have grown weak over the years with the cold winds of each winter. And that was only the most basic inquiries; having to deal with the problems of each individual citizen as they walked into the palace was another matter entirely.

Still, despite everything that was thrown her way, Flame Princess always found it within herself to somehow get through it all. But that was not say she could handle it all on her own forever, of course. It was the main reason why she was set to marry Blayze when the time was right (which was another matter to handle in itself).

Not to make it sound like she was simply using Blayze to make her life easier. Far from it. She deeply cherished him, and found herself establishing a stable connection with him in the short few months that they have known each other.

She would often think back to her first days of ruling. Back then, she did not take it as seriously as she did now. And given the fact that she was still very young, not many items were entrusted to her; that honor belonged to her advisors. Now, however, having all of the knowledge necessary for ruling a kingdom as powerful as hers, she thought herself ready to face all of the decisions that would fall on her. And she was right, she did feel like her handle on these situations got better as time went on. But all of the hard work was not the main issue.

Flame Princess could scarcely remember the last time she was able to spend more than a few hours by herself (when she was not sleeping), doing whatever she wanted to with her free time. She remembered the times when she would walk along the streets of her kingdom, greeting and talking with her citizens because she wanted to, not because she needed to. There were even times when she regretted not going to visit Finn during those times. For what reason, even she was unaware.

Her one and only wish was for those days to come back, and it would not be possible if an entire kingdom was mostly entrusted to just her.

But despite all of this, now was not the time to dwell on it.

The rest of her family were all sitting on the meeting table before her, each with their own thoughts to give regarding the politics of the Fire Kingdom. Flint, most of all, would not stop talking, and always had something to say about one ordeal or another. But whatever their exact words were, they were nothing but mumbling in her ears.

Too busy bickering with one another to notice, Flame Princess' eyes were fixed on one of the nearby decorative windows. They were too high for anyone to look out through them from the ground, but they did give a pretty clear view of the orange sky outside.

She wished she was out there right now, flying among the gaseous clouds. But not just the ones of her kingdom, but also the ones hovering in the clear, blue skies of the Grasslands, or any other kingdom beyond it.

It was always a sight to behold when flying over those immense green fields. They were empty and mostly devoid of anything aside from a few trees here and there, but that's what she loved most about it: the emptiness. She knew perfectly well that people from outside the Fire Kingdom were afraid of fire, and rightfully so. But in the Grasslands, there was no one around to be afraid when she wanted to use her powers. Being able to try out so many different techniques with her flames without the worry of burning someone was always the freedom she craved while inside her lantern during her younger years.

And in the past, exploring the Grasslands also meant she was close to Finn.

Suddenly all thoughts in her mind were replaced with the human. She began to ask herself if he was doing alright. The two of them had not exactly parted on the kindest of terms the last time they interacted, which was something that troubled her every time the memory came flooding back. Sure, he was being immature around Blayze, but maybe sending him away from the kingdom instead of trying to work things out between the two was not the best idea.

In any case, the past was the past. All she could do was hope that he would visit her again soon.

Reality came back to her as Flint tapped his hand against the table repeatedly, clearing his throat for added effect. It was only when Flame Princess turned her head to face him that she noticed everyone else had their eyes on her. To her left were Aunt Agnes and Randy, while to her left was Flint with a few of his flame guards.

"Sister, are you listening?" Flint asked.

Knocking herself back to reality, she sat up straight and cleared her throat. "Sorry, everyone. I'm not exactly feeling myself today. What were you saying?"

It was not exactly a lie. While not sick, she felt a bit more melancholy than usual.

Flint scoffed in annoyance. He held up a letter in his hand for the rest to see. "As I was saying, we cannot take the contents of this letter seriously. To ask that we remain here while our ruler goes on her own is ridiculous. We have no idea what to expect."

"Your concerns are noted, Flint," said Flame Princess, remembering their topic. "But you must also understand that I am being asked to attend a funeral, along with several other princesses. To bring armed guards to the ceremony would be disgraceful, not just to us, but to the kingdoms allied with our own. I've never been to the Diamond Kingdom myself, but I hear they're very peaceful, and I doubt they would do anything rash."

Flint tossed the letter in front of Flame Princess. "Still, I don't like it."

The ruler picked up the unsealed letter in question and studied its contents once more.

 _Esteemed rulers of the Land of Ooo,_

 _The people of our great kingdom sit in worry as our honorable king, Beric, has fallen ill with a deadly sickness. While still living at the time of this letter's writing, we fear that his time is nearing its end. Following his passing and burying ceremony, the people will band together to crown our new king, Prince Valkrin. As validation, we ask that those who receive this letter make the necessary preparations and travel to our kingdom, if possible, to attend the funeral and witness the crowing of the prince._

 _Not only would you be honoring his royal highness' memory by attending, but it is also a rare opportunity for you to set foot upon our kingdom, as access to it is normally not allowed for outsiders. And, hopefully, we may also discuss the terms for which our kingdoms are allied together to make this a prospering world._

 _We eagerly await your visit._

 _Sincerely: Reigo, Steward of the Diamond Kingdom._

As she finished reading, Flame Princess placed the letter back on the table.

"I for one think we should honor this chance," said Aunt Agnes, sitting opposite from Flint. "I've heard the Diamond Kingdom is such a lovely place. And the Floating Gems themselves are a wonder to behold."

"Be that as it may, we are talking about sending our ruler, alone, to a place where our people have barely set foot," argued Flint. "There's no telling the kind of danger she could face. Assassins, thugs, annoying bureaucrats. We shouldn't-"

"I remind you that I can take care of myself just fine, brother," Flame Princess stated, raising her voice. "And besides, even if I won't be taking any of our men, I have no doubt the Diamond Kingdom has its own security. Being completely defenseless is not a scenario I'll find myself in, I'm sure."

"So we're just gonna drop all worries and trust in their word? This is not how we operate, sister. If we let some other kingdom decide these things for us, it makes ours look weak. Let me sail with you to the Floating Gems with a few more ships from our cavalry. You'll see how quickly they change their tone when they realize that the Fire Kingdom does not negotiate when it comes to matters of strength."

Flame Princess sighed and rubbed her forehead. It was beginning to ache. "You know I appreciate your council on most occasions, Flint. But sailing to the Floating Gems with an armada at our backs will only make things worse. The rumors that our kingdom cares for nothing but war and battle will spread even farther, and won't risk our peace with the other kingdoms in such a stupid manner. I'll go attend the ceremony alone, with the other princesses that will also attend, and that's final. Am I clear, or are you gonna make me go on another rant?"

It was obvious Flint did not agree, but he kept his mouth shut.

"I understand," he said.

Flame Princess relaxed on her chair. "Good." She turned her attention to Cinnamon Bun, who was standing guard near the wall to her right. "What about you, CB? Do you have your own say on the matter or do you agree with my choice?"

The pastry nodded. "I will trust your judgement, as always."

She turned to everyone else. "Aunt Agnes, Randy, any more words? …Alright. Now, if the condition of King Beric is as bad as the letter says, I imagine my stay in the Diamond Kingdom won't be very long. And I will leave the kingdom in the charge of Furnius in my absence."

"Him?!" Flint yelled, standing from his chair. "Sister, I don't think it's a good idea to leave the kingdom in the hands of the one who tried to kill our father once. Yes, he and Torcho have shown no signs of hatred towards you over the past few years, but it's still unclear what their actual goals might be. Let _me_ the one who rules in your stead."

"Your place in the military, Flint," Flame Princess countered. "Your role in the kingdom consists of keeping it safe and provide me with tactics should a time of war ever come. Last time I checked, there is no war, so leave your expertise for when we really need it."

"But it's not fair! Furnius is family, so I can kinda understand your choice, but it's also you who decided to leave your suitor in charge of the kingdom when you left for Princess Day. You place your trust in the hands of someone you barely know over your own blood?! All of the time you spent outside of our borders with that human has poisoned your mind. You always put others in front of your own family!"

"FLINT!" shouted Flame Princess as she slammed her fist against the table, standing up so her eyes were level with his. Everyone was taken back by her outburst, but her brother stood his ground. "Don't you dare think for one second that I don't care about this family. Our father didn't, and I won't have you comparing me to him. I have only ever chosen what's best for this kingdom depending on the situation. And I also won't have you throwing a tantrum over the stupidest of things. When the day comes that I can fully trust you with the decisions of the kingdom, I will let you sit on the throne, but for now, you stay as captain of the guard. Understand?"

Flame Princess knew her brother like the back of her hand, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that, while still displaying anger, also had a hint of regret.

He sat back down on his chair, not saying a word or making eye contact with anyone else on the table. She followed his lead and sat down as well.

"Okay then." She turned to her guardian. "CB, can you schedule a ship for me? I plan to depart tomorrow if possible." The pastry bowed his head and went off to fulfill her orders. "Now, if there are no more matters to attend to at the moment, the rest of you are dismissed."

Everyone else bowed their heads and took their leave, except for Flint, who stood up and left without so much as looking at her. By the time nearly everyone had left, there was one who stopped at the foot of the door and strayed from following suit. Her brother, Randy.

The young elemental looked back at his sister, a mixture of worry and confusion present in his eyes. Whatever was going through his mind, it was apparently enough to have him stay and walk back towards the table, sitting at the table closest to her.

"What is it, Randy?" she asked, sounding clearly tired. "You can go. The only real reason I let you in here in the first place is because you kept insisting."

Randy rubbed his hands together nervously. "I just wanted to see how you worked, Sis."

Flame Princess chuckled. "Well, now you know. I suppose it's not exactly happy times seeing your sister lose her temper like that, huh?"

"Uh, Flint kinda lost his temper too."

"He means well, Randy. He really does. It's just…he still has a few things to learn about how things work in the kingdom now. Heh, maybe I do too. But this is how it always goes. Don't worry. I know what you're thinking, and no, Flint and I don't hate each other. No brother and sister do even after a fight, that's how I see it."

Randy smiled. "And what about me?"

Flame Princess playfully rubbed his head. "Who could ever hate a little goofball like you, huh? Now, you should go with Aunt Agnes. Someone has to keep her from trying to walk into paintings thinking they're actually doorways."

Her younger brother nodded and hopped off his seat, jogging his way out of the room. As the echo of the doors closing faded, Flame princess was left alone in complete silence.

A deep sigh escaped her mouth as she rested her elbows on the table and held her head. All of the constant complaining from Flint brother was getting on her nerves, and the splitting headache she now had from screaming so much made the entire ordeal worse. She wanted anything but to have Randy see her like this.

She loved Flint, just as much as she loved the rest of her family, and there was no doubt in her mind that he loved her too. But every conversation with him was a fight, no matter the topic.

Once again, she closed her eyes and let her mind trail back to her earlier thoughts to try and cheer herself up. Back to the large green fields of the Grasslands, far away from the molten rock and ash of the Fire Kingdom. She also imagined being back on her old home near the cliff face overlooking the ocean, where she spent the most amount of time with…she began to quickly change the image. Thinking of _him_ would only make her feel worse.

Carefully, Flame Princess dug deep inside her mind for any fond memories. Luckily, there were a few.

There was the time she and Randy were sitting on the roof of the palace, and she would teach him how to properly shoot fire from his hands. There was also the days she would visit the library and lose herself on several books that caught her interest, even if for a little while before she was called again for duty.

And of course, she could not forget the day she met Blayze, seeing him just standing around and minding his own business within the line of other awaiting suitors. It was several months ago, but she could recall the events like it were yesterday. Like how his face showed no signs of neither excitement of nervousness. He, unlike the others, was the kind who accepted whatever was given to him, and for the briefest of moments, she could see a faint glimmer of surprise in his eyes when she ended up choosing him, as if he was not expecting it at all.

She smiled, just as widely as she had during that very moment.

The next few memories went by in a flash. It was as if she was going through multiple adventures at once, all within her mind. Only a few stayed behind long enough for her to properly enjoy. But there was one that stood out the most that she could not escape no matter what.

Deciding to no continue fighting it, she allowed the memory to continue. It was only a matter of time before one of them involved Finn. After all, most of her happiest memories were from the times the two of them were together.

It was nighttime, that much was sure. She was being led through a dark forest quickly, with the only way of knowing where to go was the glow emanating from her and the human leading her by the hand.

" _Finn, slow down!"_ said her past self, prompting the human to look back and smile. He was only able to drag her along because of a glove he wore on his hand.

" _We'll be late if we don't hurry,"_ he said. _"Don't worry, it'll be fun. Trust me."_

Flame Princess smiled. She remembered this day, and knew exactly what was coming. This was during the time when they first started dating, evident by the fact that Finn looked slightly younger than he did nowadays. And who could forget that wide dorky smile?

Their trek continued for a few minutes, with the two of them constantly having to jump over logs or ducking underneath tree branches. Above their heads, the stars were shining brightly through the numerous leaves, and the moon would often allow Finn to see the path ahead of him more clearly than Flame Princess' flames.

Knowing Finn, he probably could have been going at a much faster pace, but was purposefully keeping a reasonable speed for her to keep up. Rather unnecessary, since she could just fly to their destination, and yet another part of her wanted to stay close to him at all times.

The forest finally came to an end, allowing the two to get a clear view of the night sky above them as they stepped into the grassy open fields. In the distance, the Candy Kingdom could be seen. At least, what the trees allowed, which was only the top of the royal palace being lit up by the lights coming from below. Finn simply continued to smile as he stared at it from a distance, and while Flame Princess enjoyed being in his company, she failed to see why exactly he had brought her to this place so late at night.

However, the present Flame Princess knew, and she just calmly waited as the memory played out before her.

" _Why are we here?"_ she asked, confused as to what exactly she was supposed to be looking at.

Once again, Finn evaded the question. _"You'll see in a few minutes. It's almost time."_

Frustrated but curious, Flame Princess followed his lead as he sat on the ground next to her. She looked forward with him, gazing into the faint light from the distant kingdom.

As the minutes passed, she began to wonder if he was just messing with her. Her eyes would scan the area every so often to make sure Jake was not nearby, awaiting some kind of signal from the human to pull some sort of prank. Luckily, her worries were over when he tapped on her shoulder with his gloved hand, staring into the clock wrapped around his other.

He began to count down. _"And in three…two…one…"_

Immediately, his eyes darted towards the Candy Kingdom, and Flame Princess did the same. And there, over the palace, dozens of explosions of all sorts of different colors began to appear in the night sky. One after another, the constant _booms_ echoed in the air.

She was shocked. _"Oh my Glob, are they under attack?!"_

Finn chuckled. _"No, they're fireworks."_

" _Fire…works?"_ she pondered, unfamiliar with the concept.

" _Yeah."_ He pointed towards the horizon. _"Look."_

Following the direction he was pointing, she saw that the Candy Kingdom was not the only source if these "fireworks". They were coming from practically every direction, each a different color and size, and each more beautiful than anything Flame Princess had seen ever since her release from the dreaded lamp.

She became lost in the view, amazed at how much more the sky was lit up from the added colors and shapes.

It was stunning beyond compare.

" _It's the new year,"_ said Finn, prompting her to turn her attention to him. He was still staring at the horizon. _"It's sort of a tradition we have. Whenever a year ends, we welcome the next by shooting fireworks into the sky and spending some time with our loved ones."_ He turned to her. _"I figured you deserved a front row seat for your first time seeing it."_

The elemental smiled, both in the present and in the memory. _"It's beautiful."_

Finn smiled back at her. _"It is."_ A light shade of red washed over his cheeks, prompting him to avert his eyes away. _"Just like…"_

He failed to finish his thought, instead trying to brush it off by clearing his throat. It was far too late, however, for Flame Princess noticed.

" _Just like what?"_ she asked.

The human rubbed the back of his neck, still refusing to make direct eye contact. _"Just like…you."_

Though she could not see it, nor could she hide it no matter how hard she tried, Flame Princess found herself blushing as well. It was not the first time he had called her beautiful, but she was attempting to burn him when he did so for the first instance. This time, she could really appreciate the sincerity of the comment.

" _Oh, um…thank you,"_ she replied while shyly rubbing her arm.

They both marveled at the display of fireworks for a while longer. While there was still plenty to go around, there were not as much as when they began.

" _Finn?"_ spoke Flame Princess, breaking the silence between her and him.

" _Yeah?"_ he asked in response.

" _I was just wondering…When the two of us shared our first kiss a while ago and…nearly ended up destroying the world, I've had some doubts."_

Finn turned his body a bit, giving her his full attention. _"What kind of doubts?"_

" _I mean, if we can't share that affection properly, or even touch each other without one of us getting hurt, is there…really any chance for this relationship to work between us?"_

The human pondered her words for a moment, trying to come up with a response. _"Well…I'd be lying if I said I haven't had those thoughts myself. But, deep down, I really do believe we can make this work somehow. After all, you said it yourself; I would defy nature for you."_

" _But…how? I don't wanna have to see you either wrapped in aluminum or have your skin turn blue with a flame shield every time we try and have some sort of physical contact."_

Even more silence followed as the human struggled to find a good answer. _"I'll say it right now, I'm probably the worst possible guy to talk to when it comes to dating. That being said though, I really believe our relationship can at least build a foundation that doesn't involve that."_

Flame Princess frowned. _"What do you mean?"_

" _Being with someone that you really like isn't about having to always be hugging or kissing or whatever. I think it's mostly about…just being with them, in their presence, and bonding through emotions. It's like when I go adventuring with Jake. When we have certain paths laid out before us, we don't choose the easiest route. We choose the one that will give us the most challenge. Because in the end, we know that the payoff will be all the more satisfying and rewarding. Going against the norm."_

He took a moment to gather most of his thoughts and continued.

" _So really, what you need to ask yourself is this: do you want to take the easy route and end our relationship, which I would totally understand, or would you rather keep going and try to find a way for us to happily manage? It's really up to the adventurer to decide the journey they take, and ever since escaping from your lamp, you're an adventurer as well, FP."_

Flame Princess, both from the memory and from the present, were shocked at the human's words. Even at the young age that he is, he could still find it in himself to somehow give such encouraging words.

" _Or maybe it's not like that at all and I'm just being stupid, like always,"_ he said.

" _No, no!_ " the elemental exclaimed, moving closer to him. _"I actually get it."_

Finn seemed just as surprised. _"You do? Well…what's your choice, then? Do you wanna try and make this work for a while longer? Or…should we just be friends?"_

It felt like forever had passed as Flame Princess took everything into consideration. And in the end, when she thought of her answer, she smiled.

" _I'd like for us to keep dating, Finn,"_ she said. _"It may be the difficult path, but it's one that I'm willing to take with you if it means the payoff will be worthwhile."_

The human seemed relieved beyond words. There was a look in his eyes that said he wanted to lean in and kiss her right then and there, but the look immediately disappeared as he remembered why that was impossible.

Instead, he caressed her cheek with his protected hand and did the next best thing.

" _I love you, Flame Princess."_

The princess' eyes widened at his words, and she moved her hand on top of his own. _"I love you too, Finn. And please…call me Phoebe."_

After a moment of shock and awe, the human found himself smiling widely. _"Okay…Phoebe."_

As the two young lovers finished sharing glances, their eyes trailed to the starry skies above as the last remaining fireworks began to fade. And the memory went to black.

Flame Princess spent the next few minutes going over everything she had seen. Not only was it the memory of the first time she and Finn had said "I love you" to one another, it was also the time that she told him her real name. And all while experiencing one of the most beautiful sights she had seen after being free from her lamp.

' _Oh, Finn. We had such good times during those days. We were so full of hope that it would end happily for us both. But now I'm just glad we can be good friends.'_ She sighed. _'I think I should stop for now.'_

But it would not be so. Right then, just as she was about to end her moment of browsing through old memories, another began to form. However, no matter how hard she tried to figure out what events she was recalling this time, there was no way of clearly telling. All she could see was a very faint light hanging from the ceiling above her. And…something else.

Curious, she decided to see what was in store.

Everything was still rather blurry, but she could more or less make out the outline of another elemental looking down at her. It was difficult to see her face in full detail, but Flame Princess could just barely make out the outline of a smile across her face. And there was no mistaking the red color of her eyes. Then, as her vision began to clear, Flame Princess gasped at what she was seeing.

' _Is that…Mom?'_

There was no doubt about it. Everything from her bright orange hair to her facial features in general was more than enough to recognize the resemblance. But there was something different about her. There were several bags located underneath her eyes, and she was not wearing the typical royal dress one would expect from a royal. Instead, it was a red robe.

Based on the position that Flame Princess was seeing her from, it was safe to assume she was remembering something from her infant days, when her mother would hold her gently in her arms. However, this particular event was not just any.

' _How am I seeing this?'_ she wondered. _'I doubt anyone can remember the day of their birth.'_

As her mother's smile grew even wider, her hand moved to caress whatever little amount of hair was present on her infant form.

" _Hello, Phoebe. I'm your mommy."_

Before the memory could continue any further, a loud knock on the meeting room's door alerted the elemental, abruptly pulling her out of it.

A few seconds passed as she regained her senses before grunting in frustration.

"Come in," she exclaimed, prompting the entrance of one of the palace servants. "What is it?"

She walked up to the ruler's side and bowed her head. "Sorry to disturb you, my lady, but…Oh, what's the matter?"

Flame Princess was confused about what she meant until she felt a tear slowly making its way down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and regained her composure.

"It's nothing," she said. "Just feeling a little sick, I guess. Anyway, what were you gonna say?"

The servant cleared her throat. "Your suitor, Blayze, has arrived at the kingdom's gate with Finn the Human and Jake the Dog at his side. They wish to meet with you."

A wave of surprise suddenly swept over Flame Princess. She was more than glad to hear Finn was visiting, but at the company of Blayze? If this meant the two of them had learned to become friends, she wanted to see it for herself.

Standing from her seat, she straightened her royal dress. "Um, thank you very much. I…I'll be over to greet them soon."

The servant nodded and bowed once more before taking her leave.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Flame Princess tried to reorient and prepare herself.

' _Okay, Phoebe, keep it cool. You still have a very long day ahead of you.'_

Ready, determined, and anxious, she made her way through the halls of the palace to greet her visitors.

But all the while, the image of her mother remained burned into the back of her mind.

* * *

 **Note: I told myself this chapter would be around three thousand words long. I have no idea where the extra two thousand came from. It always happens.**

 **-TheSenjuMan: I hope so as well.**

 **-JustET: I actually haven't had the chance to see it. In any case, I'm glad you're still enjoying the story.**

 **-An Amber Pen: Curiouser and curiouser indeed.**

 **Next Chapter: Carving the Path**


	19. Chapter 19: Carving the Path

**Chapter 19: Carving the Path**

Cinnamon Bun greeted Finn, Jake, and Blayze at the Fire Kingdom's main entrance. The giant gates that allowed passage through the walls creaked loudly as they were closed, sending an echo through the air that could be heard across nearly the entire kingdom.

As Blayze walked ahead to converse with the pastry guardian in private, Finn and Jake stayed behind with a few of the other guards, attempting to keep their heads low as they could feel numerous glowing red eyes fixed upon them from every conceivable direction. Not just the guards, but any citizen currently walking about in the area.

Finn wondered if they had just become prisoners as soon as they stepped within the Fire Kingdom's grounds. After all, he did keep several details to himself regarding the situation for which he found himself here some days ago. If Blayze was currently giving Cinnamon Bun _all_ of the details, it was a high possibility that he would have to face the consequences for violating the laws of the land. Jake would perhaps be off the hook, but the yellow canine was with him during that time. Misunderstandings were bound to happen.

Luckily, it seemed like this was not the case. Once Blayze and Cinnamon Bun ended their conversation, the pastry bid him farewell and went off to perform other duties. The smile still present on his face could have been enough proof to show that the elemental that brought them here was not about to start talking about the situation to anyone. At least not until Flame Princess was present to hear it.

As he walked back towards them, Finn and Jake still tried to keep their eyes averted from anyone else. The human was also trying his best to keep the mark on his hand hidden from view.

"CB's got some business to take care of down at the docks," said Blayze. "Something about preparing a ship for sail. In the meantime, he said we could let ourselves into the palace, and that word of our arrival has already been sent. But he also mentioned that Phoebe might be a bit busy today, so our time to speak will be rather short."

"Do you really think she knows as much as Weimar puts on?" Finn asked.

"I'm hoping to find out myself. We're all walking into this rather blindly, guys. There are no secrets in Fire Kingdom, but there are still several delicate matters that are kept on a need-to-know basis for the higher ups only. If we're lucky, any questions we have will lead to proper answers."

Finn nodded in understanding. He and Jake followed the elemental further into the kingdom, being taken through the busy streets as countless others went about their daily business.

In the market, voices came from every single direction, all from merchants trying to sell their goods. Although, the variety was not that much, at least to Finn. A few swords here and there and some armor sets got his attention, but he could not use any of them given their burning nature. Some stands were selling clothing, but again, none of it would be appropriate for him, and others were selling coal for others to eat.

Overall, everyone seemed happy, which made him smile.

During his distraction, the human was accidentally knocked to the ground by another elemental walking his way. It must have been a guard because his head caused a noticeable _clank_ when he hit.

"Watch where you're…" Whoever the angry elemental was, his voice was rather recognizable. "Oh, it's you."

After standing back up with the help of Jake, Finn could get a good look at whoever it was he bumped into. He mentally cursed, wishing it had been anyone but Flame Princess' brother.

"Flint," Blayze spoke up before the human could get a single word in. "What are you doing out here?"

"And what's the hurry?" asked Jake.

"None of your business, mutt," Flint replied. He pointed a finger at Blayze. "And none of yours neither. Out of my way!"

He left without another word, marching away like the soldier he was through the crowd.

Finn still rubbed his head from the earlier impact. "What's his deal? Why is he so angry?"

"He's angry all of the time," Blayze answered. "Maybe he had another argument with Phoebe."

"Do they argue often?" asked Finn as they continued their walk.

"More than they probably should."

"Ah, they're brother and sister," said Jake. "What do you expect?"

"Their views on how to rule this kingdom differ widely. Flint may be loyal to her, but he believes in a lot what his father used to say. That we fire elementals are beings of battle, and thus we must answer to others with our fury, not ours words."

"But Flame King doesn't believe in that anymore," Finn said. "He spends most of his days in a cave with Bun Bun ruling over a group of chipmunks."

"Still, old habits die hard," replied Blayze as the palace came into view. "Flint is still a long way to go before he starts seeing things differently."

"Do you think he'll be a problem?" Jake asked. "I never really liked that guy, and having him say nonsense to Flame Princess might cause some issues."

"Phoebe is smart enough to not heed all of her brother's words. But yes, if no one keeps a close eye on him, things could get complicated. And the last thing this kingdom need is another coup with a drastic change in leadership."

As the trio reached the main gate of the palace, Blayze told the guards what their business was, and they were allowed passage into the main throne room. They were told that Flame Princess would be with them soon, provided that she had not run into any problems on the way. And so they were forced to wait.

In the meantime, Finn continued their conversation from earlier. "Another coup? So it's possible that multiple people don't see her as a good leader?"

"I think no leader is loved by _everyone_ bro," Jake said. "Especially in a place like Fire Kingdom. Everyone here loves to argue over anything." He immediately turned to Blayze. "No offense."

The elemental brushed the statement off. "I don't really have grounds to complain about somethin that's true. But yeah, having to rule over an entire kingdom means dealing with equal amounts of love and hate. Not two are ever ahead of each other."

Finn looked around the throne room. From what he could tell, everyone working in it seemed happy enough, and everything seemed as normal as any other time Finn had visited. Well, except for one thing.

Whoever the stranger standing near the throne was, he did not belong in Fire Kingdom, that much was sure. If the fact that he was wearing a fire resistant suit was not enough to give it away, then his endless gazing at Flame Princess' seat of power as if it were the finest seat he had ever seen in his life.

"Who is that guy?" the human asked Blayze.

As the elemental studied the man from afar, he seemed just as confused. "I'm…not sure. He must be here on some business, otherwise the guards would've kicked him out already."

"Well," Jake began, "since we have nothing else to do, why don't we go ahead and say hi?"

The dog was already walking away before Finn or Blayze had a chance to stop him. Frustrated, they followed, but he had already stretched all the way to the stranger's side before they could stop him.

"Hey, dude," Jake greeted.

A shout of surprise escape the man's mouth as he slightly jumped. He took a few steps back from Jake.

"What…what are you?" he asked, noticeably frightened.

"What am I? Have you never seen a dog before?"

Finn and Blayze caught up with Jake and pulled him back.

"Jake, come on, man!" exclaimed Finn. He faced the stranger and was able to clearly see his face underneath his helmet; a humanoid of pale blue skin and red eyes with neatly trimmed bleach colored hair and eyebrows. "Sorry, sir. My friend can be a little too curious sometimes."

"Look who's talking," Jake mumbled.

The man seemed to relax a bit. "Oh, it-it's quite all right. I'm not from around here and, well, I'm not used to seeing such colorful beings."

"Not used to it?" Blayze asked. "What are you here for, exactly?"

"I…I'm sorry. But I really can't say. I am here on _very_ urgent business and I was told to only speak to the ruler of this kingdom regarding my duties. Forgive me."

' _He's sure apologetic,'_ Finn thought.

"Can you at least tell us where you're from?" Jake asked. "You look like a really young Ice King!"

The man raised his brow. "Who? I'm not sure I know who you are referring to. But, if you must know, my name is Leif, and I hail from the Floating Gems far off the eastern coast of Ooo. I am a citizen of the great Diamond Kingdom."

Diamond Kingdom. This was the second time in the same day Finn and Jake had heard that place being mentioned. First a letter to Princess Bubblegum, and now a member of the kingdom itself here to seek out Flame Princess. But why? It must have been important if it caused him to keep a secret in a place where they are not allowed.

"Diamond Kingdom, huh?" Finn said. "Never been there. Well, mostly because I can't go."

"Yes, it is quite unfortunate that most people of the mainland can't visit our beautiful home," Leif replied. "But you must understand that a miracle of nature like the Floating Gems must be preserved at all costs. Having outsiders visit would hinder that preservation."

"I hope you don't mind a bit of fire, then."

Finn, Jake, and Blayze all turned to meet the source of the new voice. The human was grateful he could inhale plenty of air through his nose, because otherwise his gasp would have been a bit too loud at the sight of Flame Princess.

While it had only been a little over a week since he last saw her, everything that he and his friends had gone through during that time made it feel like an eternity. Every single time he came to Fire Kingdom, he expected something to be different about her in some way, but now it was mostly the same as before. Neatly dressed, standing as straight as any other princess (most of them), and the same warm smile on her face.

"And besides," she continued saying to Leif, "telling these guys that you're just a simple courier delivering a letter won't be the end of the world."

Leif seemed to quiver a bit, but bowed his head respectfully. "Forgive me. I just don't think it's very wise to be talking about my work to anyone who asks."

"Well, they're not just anyone." She placed a hand on Finn and Jake's shoulders, making the human blush underneath his flame shield. "These are Finn the Human and Jake the Dog; the heroes of Ooo. And this here is Blayze, my suitor."

Leif studied all of them briefly. "Ah, I see…Then it's a pleasure to meet you all. If the princess vouches for you, then I suppose I must apologize for my distrust."

' _He's_ _ **very**_ _apologetic,'_ Finn thought.

Flame Princess stepped closer to the courier. "I've already sent word for a ship to be prepared for sailing by tomorrow. If you wish, you can come along with me back to your home."

A ship? Finn wondered what she meant by that. Could it be possible that she was going to the Floating Gems?

Leif pondered her words for a moment. "I suppose I could. After all, the ship that brought me and my colleagues could not stay for long, and we would have to wait a while before its return."

"Colleagues?" Blayze asked. "So there's more than just you here?"

"Oh yes. If it were only me delivering word to the royals, it would take too long."

"Makes sense," Finn said. "We didn't see the one sent to the Candy Kingdom, though. We must have missed each other. The letter was sent to the princess by a banana guard."

"Well, we _were_ in a hospital instead of the palace," Jake commented. "Maybe he just didn't wanna walk all the way across town."

"In any case, I will take this as conformation that you will be coming," Leif told Flame Princess. "Now, if you will excuse me, I will take my leave and spend some time at one of your establishments."

"Feel free to have a guard escort you around," Flame Princess replied. "I've sent word that you are of high value here."

Leif bowed his head one more time before walking away, leaving Finn and the others alone. Once he was gone, Flame Princess loosened her stance and sighed.

"What a day," she said.

"Seems like you really are busy," Finn said. "By the way, you said something about a ship. Are you leaving?"

"Only for a short while. The Diamond Kingdom is gonna have its new king crowned soon, so me and several other princesses will be attending. But I don't wanna talk about work right now. Tell me, what brings you here?"

Blayze nudged Finn closer to her. "Finn here has a few things to say and ask."

Finn shot a quick angry gaze at the elemental before facing Flame Princess, who awaited with a slightly tilted head for what it was he had to say.

He cleared his throat. "Well…it more or less has something to do with the reason me and Jake came here a while ago for. I asked you a few questions but, and please don't be mad at me for saying this, I may not have told you…everything. Meaning, yes, I did keep a secret. But to be fair, at the time it seemed like no big deal. Even if it nearly cost us our lives. Including your suitor's, who we wouldn't be here without. Sort of."

She did seem slightly annoyed at Finn's confession, but did not make a big deal out of it, which relieved him.

"Fair enough I guess," she said. "Since you've been a good friend and ally to the kingdom, I suppose I can let it slide, though I'd prefer it doesn't happen again." She turned to Blayze. "And I'd like to hear more about this trip from you personally later. But in any case, why exactly are you brining this up, Finn?"

The human raised his hand so that the crow marking was clear for her to see. "Do you know anything about this symbol?"

He could immediately tell she did. Her eyes widened to their full extent in shock, fixed on nothing but the marking. As she raised her hand to touch its surface, she only kept it there for less than two second before pulling it back.

She seemed almost…scared of it.

After finishing her examination, she appeared to be struggling with her words. "Finn. If you don't mind, I think we should speak somewhere a little more private…Just the two of us."

Finn turned his gaze to Jake and Blayze, but both appeared just as confused as he was.

"Okay…" he said nervously. "Lead on, I guess. Jake, I'll see you in a bit."

The dog simply nodded and remained in the throne room with Blayze as the human followed Flame Princess further into the palace.

Several people passed them on the way through the halls. Soldiers, servants, maids; all the works of a royal castle. He kept his mind busy by looking at the numerous works of art located along the walls, some of different elementals that he did not recognize, while others were of simple things like flowers, pots, or just plain fire of different colors. They really helped to give some life to the constant red and black of the walls, and anything to keep him from looking straight at Flame Princess was largely appreciated.

"So…" she said, breaking the silence. "Have you and Blayze been getting along well?"

Finn was hesitant, but decided to carry the conversation. "Eh, you could say that. We've spoken here and there, but there's still a lot we can learn about each other."

It was hard to tell whether she was actually listening or not. Every time someone walked passed, she would keep her eyes on them. He had never seen her this uneasy before. Was she doing it just to make it seem like they were having a normal talk until they were alone? In any case, Finn never questioned it and kept following.

Once the two of them made it to her bedchambers, she opened the door and nodded for him to step inside. Naturally, he did, and took a moment to look around as she closed and locked the door behind them.

Her room was fancy, but that was more or less what he expected from a royal. A big bed to his right, a mirror with a few products to make her look pretty, a wardrobe with all kinds of dresses, a bathroom entrance to his right, and beyond the bed, at the far side of the room, a balcony overlooking her kingdom, where the sun's rays entered and provided most of the illumination in the room.

"Very nice place," Finn said. "Does it get rather chilly when-"

He almost choked on the very air he breathed as he turned back around to face Flame Princess. If he was nervous before, now he was downright terrified.

She had formed a sword with her hand, and the tip of the blade was pointed right at the human's throat. He took a few steps back with his hands in the air, pondering as to why exactly she looked so mad all of a sudden.

"Uh, FP? Wh…What are you doing?"

"Finn, listen to me. I'm only going to ask you this _once_. So think over your words carefully, and answer me with nothing but the truth."

She moved closer, the heat of her blade almost piercing through Finn's flame shield.

"Where…did you get…that damn mark?"

* * *

"She always does this!" Flint shouted up into the sky as he clenched his fists. Multiple spots of grass burned underneath his feet as he walked. "I do nothing but try and offer my advice to the council, and all she does it brush it off! And everyone else just plays along with her as if my words means absolutely nothing!"

He hardly ever left the confines of the Fire Kingdom, but Flint wanted to be somewhere in which no one could hear his shouting. Aside from punching and burning things, it was the only other way he could vent any anger present within him.

The sun was no longer at the very top of the sky, but there was still plenty of time left before dusk arrived. With how big and deserted most of the Grasslands was, it was the perfect place to go to take a break from the loudness of the Fire Kingdom, even if it he was still within its territory beyond its walls.

The patches of grass he burned were all gray and feeble on account of all the ash and smog around the area. All trees were also dead, devoid of any leaves or color on their trunks. The sky was not orange, but neither was it blue, it was a combination of the two. It was a way of knowing if you were close to arriving or leaving the kingdom's perimeter. The elementals had a name for this place: Nowhere. Because no matter where one looked, there was nothing. Nothing but the border between a field of grass and trees and a land of rock and flames; the only way in or out without having to sail through the Isle of Steam that surrounded the kingdom from its west, east, and south sides.

The area was not big, but it paved the way for such a drastic change in scenery that it felt like one was stepping into a whole other world. And as the patches of grass started to become their luscious green color the more he walked, Flint continued his rant.

"Father would have listened to me. Before he was dethroned and then exiled, he would have taken my advice without a second thought. He always said that we fire elementals are beings of battle, but how can we be when the kingdom becomes weaker with every passing day? I just…we should be feared and respected, not become a bunch of sissies like all the rest."

Flint vent some more anger by kicking a rock as he walked passed it. The height and speed of the kick was strong enough to have it break when it fell against the ground again.

Instead of making all the way into the Grasslands, he decided to sit on top of a nearby boulder instead. From the top, he could just attempt to rest and relax for a bit as numerous bursts of steam shot from the underneath the hot earth.

His mind drifted back to his younger days, when he first joined the Fire Kingdom's military. During those days, he felt prouder than he ever had before. As the eldest child of the family, it was expected by most that he would one day inherit the throne, but he decided to take a different path; one where he could fight his own battle rather than having someone else fight them for him. He recalled how proud his father was.

Now…now he wondered if with him being the ruler would be the only way of bringing the kingdom back to its former glory.

He sighed. "No. Like it or not, Phoebe is the ruler of Fire Kingdom, and I must follow her lead no matter what. And as for me, well…maybe my days of fighting will be far behind me before long."

"Not exactly, dear."

Flint immediately stood up on the boulder and turned in the direction of the new voice, while forming a flaming sword with his arm. "Who said that? Who goes there?!"

From behind one of the other nearby boulders, the woman in question stepped out into the open where he could see her. Immediately after, he only raised his sword in defense, narrowing his eyes at the familiar sight before him.

"Candice," he growled. "What are you doing here?"

It was indeed the leader of the Blackbell Knights herself. Flint only wished he could properly identify her face, but she always wore that hood and mask over it, leaving only room for her eyes. One hand rested on her hip, just above the unusual weapon she always carried with her.

"I was just taking a walk," she responded to his question. "What? Is it illegal to take walks now, even out of the kingdom's jurisdiction?"

"The fact that you and your band of freaks operate out of our jurisdiction is exactly why you're not rotting behind bars at this very moment."

"And you can't be swinging that sword around when I have made no violent move against you. Why don't you be a good little soldier and put it away before you hurt yourself?"

"I can have this blade pointed at your neck all day if I wanted. Just give me a good reason to drive it through. I dare you."

Candice sighed. "Will you at least let me speak to you briefly?"

Flint chuckled in response. "What could you possibly want to talk to me about? If this is about letting the Blackbell Knights operate within the Fire Kingdom, you can save your breath, because you already know my answer. And my sister's."

"Well…not exactly. Although, I do have an offer for you in particular."

Candice made her way closer to the boulder where Flint stood, but a quick wave of his sword kept her from moving. "Whatever you have to say, you can say from there. I have good hearing."

"As you wish. Tell me, Flint, judging from what I heard you rambling about earlier, I take it you and your sister aren't exactly on the same terms when it comes to how the Fire Kingdom is being ruled. Am I right or wrong?"

"We have our disagreements, but she's still the ruler of the kingdom. And a soldier, honor binds me to follow her orders."

"Ah, but that's the problem." She walked over to another boulder and climbed on top of it, sitting on the edge with one leg dangling over the other while both arms supported her from behind. "You see, whether you want to deny it or not, you're not a soldier anymore."

Flint narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that what you were rambling about earlier is true. The Fire Kingdom used to be feared and respected, but now, with each passing day, it's becoming a land of peace. And a land of peace doesn't need hardened warriors like you. You can argue all you want that it's not true, but you know deep down that it is. All that my organization and I want is to fix that. Make the Fire Kingdom a place of peace, but because of fear and respect from others, not because we keep being nice to everyone."

She looked in a random direction, where the land just seemed to stretch out forever.

"Because soon, this land won't need clothing vendors, diplomats, or your average stationary guard. It'll need warriors. Real ones who will fight to the very last breath for their home. I am offering you the chance to be that kind of warrior, Flint. I offer you…a place within the Blackbell Knights."

He slightly lowered his blade, thinking over her words. "What? You honestly think I'd want to join your freak show?"

"All I'm asking for is that you give us a chance. You've spent years staying by your sister's side, but deep down you know that she is only make the kingdom weaker, not stronger. Your talents aren't needed there anymore. However, you give me the opportunity show you what the Blackbell Knights are all about, and I promise you'll never wanna go back. You can be a real warrior once again, and carve your own path in life rather than letting others carve it for you."

"And if you're wrong and I refuse?"

"If I'm wrong, then you are free to refuse and stick to your current path, or you can find a new one with purpose. But first, all I ask is that you come with me and witness everything that I have to say and show to you."

Flint kept his eyes fixed on hers at all times as her words bounced in his head. The fact that he was actually considering this made him nearly hate himself, but at the same time, he could not deny that everything she had said about the Fire Kingdom was, to some extent, true.

"Fine," he said, lowering his blade. "I'll play along. For now."

It was hard to tell because of the mask, but something told Flint that Candice was smiling.

* * *

 **Note: Not much to say this time, other than a quick thanks to those who are still following this story.**

 **-sonicthehedgehog240: While I understand why you would see it that way, I can assure you that this is indeed a FxFP story.**

 **-OMAC001: Me neither.**

 **-An Amber Pen: They sure do, and thanks for enjoying it.**

 **-Awolfx9: That might the case for her. Or maybe not. We shall see.**

 **-Ooobserver: Always nice to see people actually interested. And I'm just as eager to see how everything ultimately plays out.**

 **Next Chapter: The Gate to Paradise**


	20. Chapter 20: The Gate to Paradise

**Chapter 20: The Gate to Paradise**

"Where…did you get…that damn mark?"

Finn found it difficult to tell if he was even remembering to breathe. His eyes were fixed on the flickering embers drifting upwards from Flame Princess' sword; some of which were extinguished when they came into contact with his chin, right above where the blade's fiery tip grew eerily closer to his neck with each passing second.

With every backwards step that the human took to gain some space, she followed with a forward step of her own, making it seem as if he had never even moved at all. But aside from the obvious threat of being pinned at a wall by a scorching sword, it was the princess' gaze that unnerved Finn the most. A gaze that he had never gotten from her in the years since they met, but one that he was still all too familiar with.

Even with the flame shield's protection, the heat of the fire that was so close to his throat managed to somehow pierce through the protection, and it made the experience all the more terrifying. In all his years, the young hero could never recall feeling so helpless.

' _Flame Princess.'_ His owns thoughts sounded like distant echoes that he could barely hear. _'Wh-why is she so angry all of a sudden? Why is she threatening me with a sword?! She can't possibly be serious. She wouldn't…'_

"Answer the question, Finn," she said, in a tone so calm despite the circumstances, Finn would have almost preferred it if she was yelling.

Realizing he had been holding in his breath for so long, he decided to take a deep breath and quickly gather his thoughts. He turned his eyes to the mark on his hand, which he held up close to his head along with the other in submission. _'Just explain everything you know to her. As far as I know, I've done absolutely nothing wrong. But…if I don't choose my words carefully…even if I feel totally certain that she won't stab me, things might still get messy. And if that happens, I could reach for my own sword, but I have to do whatever it takes to keep myself from harming her, and maybe she'll do the same with me.'_

"I don't know," he finally said, with the answer being partially true. "I mean…I'm not _sure_."

"You got it from somewhere!" she said, the heat of the blade growing even hotter. "And from someone!"

"Princess," he said in the calmest tone he could muster, "you've known me for a long time. Whatever it is that this mark means to you, I _swear_ , with everything I stand for as a hero, that I am not involved. In fact, the reason I came here today, is because I was told you knew about it. And it's clear you do. But what I want from you is answers on how to get rid of it. Please."

The sword was still pressed too close to his throat. But as Flame Princess' expression softened a bit, Finn noticed the heat was dying down as well.

"I want to think that's true, Finn," she said; her arm was slightly shaking now. "It's just that…that mark represents a very dark part of my people's history. And to see _you_ walk around with it engraved on your hand like that…I'm just confused."

' _She and confusion never mix well,'_ Finn recalled, her sudden lash out making just slightly more sense. "If you can just lower the sword-" he felt the flames getting hot again. "Okay, okay! The sword can stay if you want. But at least hear me out, and I'll tell you everything. Nothing held back. I promise."

After a brief moment of silence, she nodded her head, and the human let himself calm down a bit more.

"It all started after I went to sleep one night, just like any other…"

He had lost count of how much time had passed while retelling the events that he and his friends had endured. And staying true to his word, he left absolutely nothing out, which made it even more awkward and crazy-sounding when he told of the Phantom in his dream that resembled her in appearance. She did seem taken back by it at first, but she decided to say nothing until he was finished with all of it. And when he was, there was nothing but more silence, but she had finally lowered her sword and allowed him to breathe more easily.

Not wanting to risk angering her again, Finn opted to wait until Flame Princess spoke in her own time, once she was done taking in all of the information. When the time came, all trace of that anger was gone from her eyes, replaced with a mix of sadness and contemplation.

"Definitely one of the weirdest stories I've heard," she whispered while looking towards the rays of sunlight coming in through her chambers' balcony. She turned her gaze to the human. But even so…I believe you. It doesn't sound like something you'd be able to make up on your own."

Finn decided to ignore the comment. "Thanks. Now, since I told you everything, can you explain anything to me regarding it all? I'd like some more clarity. All I've been getting are vague riddles."

It was clear that she was still slightly hesitant, but she spoke nonetheless. "As I said before…that mark is connected to a dark period of the fire people's history. All records we have are unfinished, and almost none of them have been released to the general public as of yet, because we want to decipher as many of them as possible first, but the information we have at the moment is enough to give us some idea. I can't answer any question involving…this strange phantom of your dreams, the vision you got from the Witch, why it is that you keep being called the 'Shadowed One', or…practically almost everything you mentioned, but I can say this: that mark represents a powerful group that once aimed to keep the fire elementals…my people, as slaves."

The human remembered the day he saw their order all too well. Nothing but dry bones waiting for time to fully dissolve them, locked within a vault underneath the streets of Wizard City. A feeling had remained with him since the moment he saw them. They were clearly dead, yet something in the back of Finn's mind told him that they were somehow still a threat. And maybe they are.

His thoughts were interrupted as Phoebe continued. "We're still unsure about how many of the details in our records are historical or just some form of mythical belief, but there are several clues that may prove the events were real. According to what we have, my people didn't start their civilization in Ooo; we originated from another far away land called Asirda. The word is part of a very old language used by the fire elementals that's no longer in use today. It directly translates to 'Paradise'. In that land, our ancestors were enslaved by another cruel race, whose names we haven't been able to uncover. The only remnant we have of them is the very mark you currently have on your hand."

The mark glowed at the mention of it, as if it was fully aware that they were acknowledging its presence.

' _Asirda,'_ he thought. _'I've heard the name before. In the vision that the Witch showed me after she took Huntress' eyes. A vision of…the future? At least that's what if seemed like.'_ He wanted to believe it was not him who was fighting against Flame Princess in those ashen lands, but there was no mistaking the same mark that both figures currently possessed. _'Could all the answers I want be there? Paradise…'_

"You mentioned Asirda in your story, did you not?" Flame Princess asked, as if she knew what he was thinking.

"I did," the human responded. "But I have no idea how it connects to anything. I had never heard the name before. Did these old records say where it could be? And if it does exist somewhere, some of the race of slavers followed your people's ancestors here?"

"It's…complicated," she said while rubbing the back of her neck. "Like I said before, there are some things in those ancient records that could be seen as mere fiction. But now, with everything that you've said, I'm leaning closer to them being true."

"But if this mark supposedly originated from somewhere outside of Ooo, how did it end up as the banner for the Order of the Crow? Are they the slavers?"

"No. As I said before, it's complicated." Before she went on, she walked over to her bed and sat on the edge. Finn decided to remain standing. "A very long time ago, during the days of the third ruler of this kingdom, the fire elementals were pulled into a war against the Goblin Kingdom. The war itself wasn't anything too major; a few skirmishes here and there. Both kingdoms were still rather new, and neither military power was very big. I wouldn't even call it a war. More like a mindless brawl. But what happened behind the scenes of it would be what brought the Order of the Crow here to Ooo.

"A goblin spy, whose name has been lost through history, was sent to infiltrate the Fire Kingdom during the days of those battles. He was somehow able to breach the archives and stole some of our old records. However, before he could bring anything back to his superiors, he was found dead along the roads to the Goblin Kingdom by one of our own patrols, most likely jumped by some thugs, and was stripped clean. After a few weeks, the skirmishes ended, and there was peace again for a while. But then, just a few days later, people began to notice that a lot of fire elementals were going missing. After doing some investigating, some guards were able to apprehend one of the kidnappers. He had that very same mark that you have on your hand engraved in the center of his chest, and when he was interrogated, he said he was a member of the Order of the Crow.

"It turns out that whoever stole the documents that the goblin spy had took an interest in the history of a fire elementals enslavement, and they created their own little group based the methods that those who enslaved us on Asirda used. They kidnapped us and made us work tirelessly in their own hideouts, while also performing other kinds of sick rituals. When we finally found them, the whole group scattered and hid in different places across Ooo. The place you found in Wizard City was apparently one of them, and they must've ended their own lives before being found. Another one was the castle you and Jake went to, far in the North; Windar. A squadron was sent there, some of our own were saved, and the place was abandoned. At least until that weird witch that kidnapped you decided to live there with those…creatures."

"The Grand Master Wizard has a tunnel system underneath his city that leads right to that fortress," Finn said. "I've seen how many monsters she has. She can launch a full-scale attack if she really wanted. But she hasn't for some reason. And with him currently wanting me captured, I can't exactly warn him."

"There's not much I can do either," said Flame Princess. "Only wizards are allowed in Wizard City. But…the only wizard we have here in the Fire Kingdom is Don John, and he's still locked away inside his own lamp."

"We'll figure something out later. For now, what else do you know involving the Order?"

She thought for a minute. "Nothing that I haven't told you already. They were just a group of maniacs trying to imitate another terrible faction. The only thing I don't know is how they tie into everything else. They must've know some things we don't, because we were never able to recover every single record that they stole. Some of them are still missing, and they might be the ones that fill most of the gaps."

' _Interesting stuff,'_ Finn thought. _'But it doesn't actually tell me much about how I can get to where I need to go. Hmm, maybe…'_

"What about the map we found in Wizard City that leads to the Desert of Doom?" he asked. "Do any of your records say anything about that place; about what could be there?"

The princess opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came. For someone who hated secrets, she suddenly seemed to be keeping some of her own. Nevertheless, the silence didn't last very long.

"There could be a connection," she said, in a tone of voice so low Finn had to lean in closer to hear. But rather than continue, she stood from the bed and straitened her dress. "Follow me. There's something I think you have the right to know about."

The human questioned nothing, and followed her as both went outside the bedroom. For a second he thought that she was leading him back to throne room to meet with Jake and Blayze, but she instead began to lead him further into the palace.

He had never been here enough time to memorize the layout. If Flame Princess was not leading the way, he would have gotten lost almost immediately. Every hall looked almost the same, save for the fact that several paintings on the walls stood out to show some difference. As they walked, a sense of unease still crept over him. Even after coming to an agreement, the memory of when the princess held a sword his throat was still clear in his mind. He wondered if she was really willing to fully trust him again. Only time would tell, depending on what she was going to show him.

When they reached a small elevator, the two of them rode it down without uttering a single word to each other the whole way. There was a sudden shift in the environment as soon as the doors opened. The air was colder, and the walls were now a dark grey rather than their usual vibrant red.

A very long hallway stood before them, with a roof so high that it made it seem like they had somehow shrunk. To their left, there was a row of massive double doors sealed shut with what appeared like hardened wax. To their left, there were simply the torches that gave the dark corridor its light. Underneath of them, after passing some of the doors, Finn and Flame Princess came across two guards sitting in a table underneath the light, playing a game of cards with each other. When they saw the human and their ruler approach, they immediately dropped the cards and stood straight.

"Your Highness," one of them said nervously. "W-we weren't expecting you down here."

"At ease," she said calmly. "I'm here on personal business with Finn the Human."

The two guards looked at each other, then one of them said, "You plan to show him the…you-know-what?"

"No, not that," she replied.

They suddenly seemed confused. "The _other_ you-know-what? Well, that thing's been completely harmless since forever. Go ahead."

After they were given leave to return to their duties, the two guards began to clean up all of the cards they had accidentally dropped on the ground. As they passed the rows of sealed doors, Flame Princess suddenly came to a stop before one of them.

Something about the door she was looking at was different from all the others. While the rest had a silvery color to them, this one was a shade darker. And while the others had only one line of wax keeping them locked from top to bottom, this one had two extra horizontal ones fused over it. If anyone wanted to get inside this door, a lot more effort would have to be used. Which made Finn weary, considering that the guards said that whatever was behind it was harmless.

Raising both of her hands, Flame Princess began to melt away the wax seals on the door. It was quick and effective, despite the fact that it seemed difficult to get through. Each line disappeared as it was burned away, like the fuse on a bomb. And when all were gone, the hall echoed with the loud creaks of the doors opening before them.

Inside of the room, it was dark, even with several torches lighting up as soon as they set foot past the opened door. It was only when Finn's eyes adjusted that he could better make out the direction in which she was going. But the glow coming from the princess herself provided some assistance as well.

When the light settled and the human could get a good look at his surroundings, he was left stunned when she and him reached the very end.

Against the wall, standing easily over fifteen feet tall, was an archway made entirely of what seemed like obsidian. There were symbols carved around its smooth surface that glowed a bright orange; the same orange that made up most of the Fire Kingdom. The same light steadily pulsated, as if it had a heartbeat of its own. At the very top, where it curved, a large crystal ball was placed in the center. While the glowing markings seemed be all connected to it, the ball itself was just clear and gave off no colors. On each side of the arc, carved onto its surface, were two perfectly rounded holes one underneath the other due to the small space of the thin column, making for a total of four. It most definitely seemed like a doorway, but it led to nothing. Beyond it, all that waited was the stone wall that made up the rest of the room.

"We call it the Cinder Gate," Flame Princess said, breaking the silence. "One of the oldest and most well-preserved artifacts we have here in the kingdom, and one that we've been unable to make work no matter how much we work on it. But, after studying it, and really analyzing our history, it could be possible that this is the gate to Asirda."

Finn was confused. "What do you mean?"

She continued without taking her eyes off the gate. "One of the few things that made us doubt that we originated outside of Ooo was that, according to our confirmed history, it wasn't until the reign of the fifth Flame King that we were able to develop ships capable of withstanding and floating on water. And so, the thought we came to Ooo from other lands, despite all of it being surrounded by an ocean, left a lot of historians with questions. But there is one theory that would make all of it make sense, and it's this." She gestured at the gate. "In theory, a portal that could lead directly to Asirda. The very same one used to get us here in the first place."

Finn studied the artifact before them a bit more. Portals were not something the human had never encountered, so it was definitely possible that this was one too. And the archway was wide enough for up to five people to fit through at once side by side, so saying that the first fire elementals on Ooo arrived through it was not so much of a stretch either.

' _But what does it all have to with_ _ **me**_ _?'_ he wondered.

"So far, we've had no luck getting it to activate," Flame Princess continued. "But if we were somehow able to…whatever we find on the other side could be the key to figuring out everything." She turned to face the human, a glint noticeable in her eyes. "All the answers your looking for might be there. And maybe…we can also uncover the secrets of my race. Our origin."

The young hero could tell this meant a lot to her, but she was not letting all of her emotions flow through just yet.

"What about those?" he asked, pointing at the empty sockets on the gate's surface.

"From what we can tell, whatever goes there could be what activates the gate. But we've found nothing related to what exactly that could be." She remained quiet for a few seconds, placing her hand over her chest. "My mother used to tell stories. Back then, they didn't mean much to me. Now, however, I'm left wondering how much she actually knew before she…before she passed away. She used to say that, hidden across all of Ooo, four gems of extreme beauty lay hidden in the darkest reaches of the earth. And those who are brave enough, and courageous enough to find them, will be granted entrance to the most gorgeous country one would ever see. After everything that's happened, I think she was talking about this the whole time. Four gems to be placed in four sockets, and the gate shall open."

After a long period of silence, as Flame Princess wiped away a lone lava tear dripping down her cheek, she went on.

"Finn, you said that you found a map inside the hideout beneath Wizard City." She stood closer to him. "I know it probably isn't my place to ask, but if that map is somehow the key to finding those gems and activating the Cinder Gate, we'd be solving two mysteries at once. Due to my duties as ruler, I can't accompany you on this journey. But please, if you really are willing to go through all of these trials, and find all of those gems, will you make sure I'm here to witness it open?"

The human turned his gaze to the glowing mark on his hand, and then closed it into a fist. A determined smile then appeared on his face.

"If getting those gems is the key to getting rid of this mark, and also help you and your people uncover your history, then I will gladly face any challenge that comes my way. You have my word."

She had been trying her hardest to contain any tears up until this point. But now, as she threw her arms around the human to pull him into a hug, her eyes let loose a few of them at once.

"Thank you," she said, muffled into his shoulder. After shaking off the original shock, he returned the hug as well.

Once they separated, the princess quickly wiped away the tears from her cheeks and straitened herself up. She then cleared her throat.

"Well, the day is almost ending. You should get as much time to prepare as possible."

"Yeah," Finn replied, once again thankful that the flame shield concealed his blush. "I'm sure Jake must be wondering where I am. If we're lucky, we might be able to set out tomorrow."

"And I'll wish you all the luck," she said while smiling. "Also...I'm sorry about raising a sword to you before. That was completely out of hand."

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

When the two of them finally left the room, the doors closed behind them, and the wax seal that they previously had once again appeared in a fiery flash. With the echoing of their footsteps as they walked down the hall, Finn felt the need to ask one more thing.

"By the way, princess, you mentioned your mother earlier. If you don't mind me asking, what was her name?"

For a second, he thought he had overstepped his bounds. But Flame Princess just lightly smiled.

"Sitara. Her name was Sitara."

* * *

 **Note: Well, this took longer than expected. But I wanted to give you guys** _ **something**_ **before the year ended. And what better occasion to give you all a new chapter than on Christmas day? So consider this my personal gift.**

 **Anyway, I hope to fully get back into the writing game soon enough. For now, just have a good holiday, and a happy new year. Be seeing you all.**

 **-Atomsk the Pirate King: We shall see as it progresses.**

 **-Ooobserver: Yeah, at least we got that.**

 **-Awolfx9: Glad you're enjoying it. And yes, it would be a shame…but not today.**

 **-TheSenjuMan: There might be some new and unexpected developments between them later on. Only time will tell.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: So many questions, so little answers...**

 **-Everything Adventure Time: Well here you go.**

 **-james: K.**

 **Next Chapter: Late Night Brawls**


	21. Chapter 21: Late Night Brawls

**Chapter 21: Late Night Brawls**

Candice was eerily quiet as she led the way through the dark wilderness, and not even the light from the moon and stars was able to provide a comforting glow.

The woods themselves were quiet too, save for the soft howling of the wind. Other than that, there were no animals in sight, either because they were sleeping, or because the flames coming from the two walking fire elementals scared them off with the light coming from their bodies. Needless to say, Flint hated the silence. It made him feel as if there was something else waiting in the darkness, ready to pounce out at any moment. And he would be surprised if that something was Candice's own men, waiting to attack at her signal and take him as a prisoner.

' _Or maybe I'm already a prisoner,'_ Flint thought.

He was beginning to deeply regret accepting Candice's offer to come with her. It's not to say that these woods were unfamiliar to him, but he would normally always have several men at his back during one of his routine scouting operations. Now, he was all alone, and as much as he hated to admit, there's was no way of knowing if he could defend himself should the worse happen. There was no way of knowing just how proficient Candice was in combat, and even if he was to fight only her, seeing that mysterious silvery handle hanging from her hip gave him a sense of dread he very rarely experienced.

But nothing ever happened. Despite his instincts, Flint never readied his sword and kept following this puzzling woman through the darkness.

The forest was suddenly not so silent anymore. Some odd crickets and frogs could now be heard every so often, and the wind continued to gently blow against the leaves of each tree. Following these sounds, Flint eventually began to hear the rushing water of a nearby river. And when some of the clouds in the sky began to part, the moonlight became brighter, and he could better see more of his surroundings.

He figured it was safe to assume that Candice had none of her men waiting to pounce. And even if she did, there would have surely been some sort of orange glow coming from the shadows that would have given them away. That was one weakness the fire elementals had that Flint was both ashamed and currently glad that they had. Due to the light they produced, it was near impossible for them to sneak around in the dark, and this weakness is the reason why so many men end up losing their lives having to take on foes head on.

"Backstabbing is for cowards," the Fire Kingdom's military general used to say, back during Flint's training days. "Using shadows to hide your faces is not a warrior's way. We face our enemies head on, and do so using strength and unity that no other kingdoms can dare to match. Ours is the most powerful military in the land, and with good reason. We do not only fight to defend our home; we fight to defeat those who would dare harm it before they even get the chance to do so. We are conquerors. Sons and daughters of miners, blacksmiths, and hail from families both rich and poor.

"But no matter where we come from, we are beings of pure will and determination, and even the most unlikely of us can become fighters. And when you're done training here, I expect every single one of you to fight to the very last breath for your home, and die fighting as a true warrior should. Because if I catch any of you running from the field of battle crying for your mothers, you can be damn sure I'll be there to kill you myself."

Back then, things were a lot simpler. When his father was in charge, everything was not so black and white. Flint fought solely for the Fire Kingdom and its people, and anyone else who would dare to oppose them were enemies, nothing more. There were no such things as peace treaties and mutual understandings. All problems were solved through combat, in the glorious heat of battle. When he swung his sword at his foes, that was when Flint felt truly alive. But now, he could hardly remember the last time he fought anyone.

When the general died in battle, he was next in line as the best soldier to continue his legacy, by leading and training the new warriors of tomorrow. It was an honor anyone would have been extremely proud to accept, and he was. To shape the weak into hardened battle machines was his pride. Now, even though he still did it, it all felt for nothing. Because the way his sister was running the kingdom, there was no telling when any of them would actually see battle. And the effects of peace have not gone unnoticed, with many of the guards beginning to slack off and partake in menial activities unfit for beings as fearsome as the fire elementals.

But there was little reason to dwell in the past for the moment. All that he needed to focus on was walking through the wilderness.

As Candice used her flames to burn away some of the foliage blocking their path, immediately using her powers to snuff it out before it could spread, the river Flint had been hearing for some time came into view. Its waters were clear and calm, and he could see several types of small fish swimming along with its current, but it was too wide for them to cross it without getting wet. Flint thought that would continue down its shore, but Candice remained unnervingly close to the edge, looking towards the opposite side of the river, where the dense forest continued.

Unlike his sister, Flint could not fly, and he was unsure if Candice could as well. And with no boats anywhere to be seen, he failed to understand what exactly she planned to do.

"You're not thinking of crossing, are you?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "We could take the long way, but I would rather arrive tonight." She raised her arm and pointed to the left, in the direction that the river was flowing. "We're going to ride the current. It's the fastest way of getting to our destination. It's near the Lost Cliffs."

Flint thought she was crazy. "How?! In case you haven't noticed, we can't exactly survive in water, and I don't see any boats around. And the path to the Lost Cliffs is completely blocked off by this river. I don't wanna spend any more time than I need to with the likes of you, but we should find a bridge."

Candice only laughed, which made him even madder. "My dear, you and so many others of our kind are the same. You fear water, and with good reason. But that's only because you haven't learned to tap into everything that you are capable of doing." She raised her hand and created a ball of fire, and through the mask covering most of her face, her eyes shone crimson red. "There's so much that you're left to learn."

Before there was any chance to respond, Candice launched the ball of flames straight above her, and with a flash so bright that made Flint cover his eyes, four flaming tendrils began to soar overhead.

When he looked back to Candice, she had both of her hands raised in the air, and moved them around in slow and graceful movements. The tendrils followed suit, moving in the same fashion as she moved her own arms. Each went flying in a different direction, and moved along the floor on each side of the river like glowing snakes. As they moved, they gathered every single rock that they came across, be it from the smallest ones to moderately sized stones. And with each rock that was collected, the tendril grew longer to compensate. Once they were done, all of them came back with the rocks in tow, and collided with each other just above the water.

The tendrils moved in unison and put all of the gathered rocks together to form a sphere, about two meters in diameter. Then, Candice made them move at a very high velocity around the rock pile, keeping them afloat. As her arms stopped moving, her hands began to shake and glow bright. Following the elemental's every command, the flames surrounding the rocks became brighter as well, creating such luminescence that it seemed like she was creating a tiny star right above the water's surface.

After a few minutes passed, with flint still too mesmerized to say anything, Candice unsheathed the silver tube she always had sheathed on her hip. She held it tightly in one hand, while keeping the floating ball of fire in the air with the other. The fiery carvings engraved on its surface began to glow with a vibrant blue color, and flames of the same color began to form around her entire hand and slithered up the rest of her arm. Then, with a swift motion, the blue fire flew forward and managed to traversethe surface of the water without being extinguished.

When Candice closed her fist on her free hand, the inferno that surrounded the rocks suddenly vanished, but what awaited underneath was no longer the rocks that she had collected. They were all melted; turned molten by the extreme heat of her flames. All that was left now was a ball of pure magma.

As Candice kept her creation in the air, she focused her attention on the blue flames, and used them to _move_ the water. Before Flint could react in time, a monsoon of magma and water both met in the air, and a large cloud of steam almost immediately covered his vision.

All he could see, aside from the forest behind them, was Candice resuming her swift motions with her arms, keeping one hand free and using the other to control the blue flames with the sliver tube. Her eyes were still glowing red, but even if the pupils themselves were not visible, Flint could still tell what kind of emotion she was showing. Despite the amount of energy that she must have been using, there was no strain present in her features at all. She remained calm and collected through the entire ordeal.

When the steam finally began to fade, the elemental began to ease her arms, doing motions that were much slower and calm until she just stopped altogether. Then, as the steam began to fade, Flint took a moment to admire what had come from her efforts.

A small, perfectly shaped boat, big enough to fit the two of them, was currently being held up in the air by a coat of blue fire beneath it. It resembled any other wooden boat in every way, only this one was made of the stone created from mixing the molten rock with water.

Flint was at a loss for words. _'Impossible! She was able to create a boat by melting the rock, and then controlling the water…with fire! But how…? I've never seen such power before. Even my father and sister were never capable of something like this. No elemental I've met has been able to make their flames burn that hot. She is not just any elemental. There's clearly something else at work here.'_

Candice looked to him as her eyes went back to normal, showing that signs that she was clearly smiling underneath her mask. "It may be a stone boat, but the water isn't too deep, so it shouldn't sink all the way. And the current looks strong enough to carry it."

"How did you do all of that?" Flint asked, basically ignoring everything she had just said.

"A personal secret, darling. And one that you'll learn quickly…if you decide the Blackbell Knights are worth it, that is."

Flint hated that she was holding back on the answers he wanted, but he decided not to lose his temper. "Okay then. I take it the river will take us right to where we need to go?"

"Exactly. A much faster route than walking. We'll be there in no time." Candice used the flames to move the boat closer to shore. "Hop on."

He was reluctant at first, but despite thinking the whole thing would break as soon as weight was added to it, it held surprisingly well once both elementals had boarded. Once they were seated, Candice allowed the blue flames to disappear, and the boat began to float downriver quickly. Flint could feel the bottom scraping against the floor every so often, but whatever magic the woman sitting opposite from his had used, the rock was solid and unbreaking, and thin enough so that it wasn't too heavy to sink.

"Couldn't we have just used the flames you used to hold up the boat and, I don't know, fly it all the way to-"

"It doesn't work that way," she said bluntly. "We'd be launched right off if we tried. Just be quiet and enjoy the ride. Stop questioning everything so much."

"I've spent most of my life trying to keep my home safe! Questioning everything that seems off isn't just a job anymore. It's instinct."

She chuckled. "And tell me, how often do your instincts yield positive results?"

"Most of the time."

" _Most_. Everyone has hiccups now and then. Even the ones that we see as being perfect. You may not want to admit it directly, but I can see it in your eyes. You believe just as much as I do that everything your sister has been doing is one big hiccup for the Fire Kingdom's progression. Am I wrong?"

Flint narrowed his eyes. "Leave my sister out of this. All she needs is time to see the bigger picture. Just shut up and take me to wherever it is we're going."

Candice shrugged. "Very well. But be warned: if I _am_ right, things need to change. And the sooner, the better. Time is not a luxury on our side."

* * *

It was hard to tell how long Flint and Candice had been sailing for, but at a guess, he figured it was close to half an hour. As rough as the ride had been until that point, the boat remained intact surprisingly well. Whatever enchantments Candice had placed upon it definitely did their work. After a while, it came to a point where the woods around them became less dense, to the point where they eventually reached a wide-open grass field.

In the distance, the two could finally see part of the Lost Cliffs. Only its back was somewhat visible; a green hill of grass and pines that gradually escalated towards the sky, until it bent to form the ridge overlooking the great sea beyond. At its base, Flint could see their destination.

There were multiple forts in the area that had been abandoned over the decades, either because they were unfit for working order, or because there was simply no need for them. Flint knew of only a few, but the name of the one he was currently seeing escaped him. He was aware that they made their home in the area, but he had never seen it personally. And the number of tents and campfires lined outside its walls was all the conformation he needed.

Candice brought the boat to a sudden halt, making Flint jolt in his seat and forcing him to grab the sides. Even with the river still going strong, her flames gave them enough to time to jump on land. As they did, the female elemental made a swift motion with her hand, and the entire thing suddenly broke apart into tiny pieces that were lost with the water's current.

Both elementals remained quiet as they walked. It was difficult to tell exactly what time it was, but based on the moon's position, and the fact that he did not feel tired in the slightest, Flint had to guess it was close to 10 PM, maybe a bit more. He became a bit uneasy. Finding his way back to the Fire Kingdom would not be easy, especially without any way of going upriver. And he had no intention of spending the night in the presence of their leader, or any of her compatriots.

Nevertheless, he kept walking, only able to imagine what the mysterious woman leading him could be thinking. He hated when he was unable to see someone's face with clarity. It was the sign of someone who had too many secrets to hide.

' _And once I'm in your fort, I plan to work on uncovering all of them.'_

It would be risky, no doubt, but would serve a great purpose. He had just realized, maybe this was his chance. Candice brought him because she wanted to convince him the Blackbell Knights were worth joining. Why not take advantage of it? She was taking him right to their doorstep, and once inside, and after earning a few friends in their ranks, getting around would be a bit simpler.

' _I have to decide quickly, though. If I leave, I might not get another chance. But, if I make them think I'm one of theirs, I can expose the true deeds of these wannabe knights.'_

Candice looked back at him for a brief moment, and in a split second, Flint thought she somehow knew what he was thinking. But he shook it off. The uneasiness was probably getting to him already.

After more walking in silence, the air was suddenly filled with the chatter and steel of the Blackbell Knights. The dozens of tents lined outside the fort's walls held just as many of its inhabitants, men and women alike, and all of them either conversing, training, tending to their fire steeds, or sharing a few meals near the campfires. They gave Flint a few suspicious looks right after saluting to their leader as she passed by, but went back to their business only seconds later.

"So many have joined our group that we don't have enough space in the fort to house them all," Candice explained. "We've been thinking of expanding to a few of the other strongholds in the area. But in the meantime, these ones you see are forced to camp in the fields. But they hardly mind. They're trained to live in even worse environments than this. They could be forced to sleep on top of spikes, and they would do so. Because they believe in our cause. They believe in their brothers and sisters."

Flint had no response. Instead, he studied the fort now that it was closer than before.

"These stones," he began, referring to the blocks used to build the walls. "The architecture isn't like anything else I've seen from the other kingdoms."

"You have a good eye," said Candice. "This fortress is old. Very old. We're not one hundred percent sure, but from what we've gathered, it's safe to assume this was once a human settlement."

Flint was slightly intrigued. "Humans? Well, it's pretty clear from the state of it that they've been long gone from Ooo…save for one."

The outer walls were sturdy enough to ward off a siege, but the same could not be said for the interior until the elemental was able to get a good look at it. As they approached the main entrance, guarded by ballistas placed on both sides of it from atop the walls, the sentries placed to man them hailed Candice upon their arrival. The portcullis was already partially raised. It made sense, since there were so many camping outside, the chances of someone being able to charge in before it closed were slim to none. It also made it easier to move equipment in and out. Flags were flowing atop the wall bearing the Blackbell Knights' symbol; a pair of black bird wings on a crimson background.

As Flint followed Candice into the courtyard, he was almost livid to admit that what he saw was somewhat impressive.

Even if the fortress was old, the Blackbell Knights had done a pretty decent job of rebuilding it. The structures had barely any cracks to speak of, and the courtyard looked almost brand new with all of its level ground and high-quality equipment. Several soldiers were sparring with one another using real, sharpened blades and spears, while others were in groups, doing any task that their sergeant commanded. There was also a stable for all of their best fire steeds.

In the case of the fort itself, what stood out the most were the three towers that stood over each side of the wall, save for the front, which had the ballistas. Out of everything else, however, they were the structures that still required some fixing.

The right flank tower was the most intact, save for a few holes in several places. The one on the left flank was almost a twin of the other, but was missing bigger chunks of its structure. Meanwhile, the one in between the two-the widest and tallest-that stood above the main building, was missing its entire roof. Beyond it was the shadow of the Lost Cliffs' grassy backside. As he studied his surroundings further, Flint knew why some of the soldiers needed to live in the outskirts. The place didn't seem that big.

"What you see now is only part of our little abode," Candice said. "There's more underground. But even then, we need to start expanding if we wish to give all of our members a comfortable bed."

' _Not if I put an end to whatever schemes you're brewing.'_

Flint followed her through the door into the main building, under the center tower, which led straight into a large mess hall. A long table stretched from one end of the bright, chandelier-lit room to the other. Over a dozen Blackbell Knights were seated on it. And from the look of their armor, he guessed that they were most of the lieutenants and sergeants.

Some conversed with one another cheerfully, while others just enjoyed their meals in peace. As would be expected from a group of fire elementals, the table was lined with nothing but coal on every plate. As soon as everyone noticed the two of them, they stood up and saluted in for Candice. When they did, Flint felt all of their eyes on him at once, but no words were uttered.

"At ease," she said, and they ceased their salute. "How has progress been coming along?"

"As good as can be expected, Ma'am," one of them said. "Repairs for this fort are coming along nicely. And some of our scouts have already found suitable locations for us to expand our forces not too far from here."

She nodded. "Good. Carry on with your business. Where is Igneous?"

"Right here, Supreme General!" said the familiar elemental with the half-extinguished face.

Flint immediately felt a fierce vexation building up within him. As the man walked towards them from the table, their eyes locked, and the hatred they both shared for each other became apparent. They came so close to exchanging blows on the day he came to the Fire Kingdom requesting an audience with Blayze, and the urge to launch the first attack was seething. But both of them managed to maintain their composure.

Igneous saluted as he stood before Candice. "Tis good to see you back safe and sound," he said.

"Was there any doubt I couldn't've handled myself?" she made him wonder.

"No, Ma'am. But these days, one can never be too careful." He turned his gaze to Flint. "And I see you've managed to bring this one to us as well."

"Worried, Iggy?" Flint said mockingly. "Don't worry. At least here, you always have Candice around to keep you safe."

He was clearly enraged. "Watch your tongue, lad. If it came to a real fight, you would be lying dead on the floor before you even drew your sword. I swear on me own blade."

Flint walked right up to his face. "Is that a challenge?"

"Aye. It might be."

"Then I could gladly take you up on it."

"I'll string you until-"

He stopped when Candice pulled Flint back by his shoulder. "Children, enough bickering. We're here to have a serious discussion." She turned to Igneous. "Where are the others?"

"Probably in the Pit," he answered while still eyeing Flint. "You know how they are."

Candice removed her hand from Flint's shoulder. "Let's go find them, then."

The three of them turned and walked back out to the courtyard, but not before Flint and Igneous gave each other a quick shove once her back was turned.

While the sounds of chatter echoed across the courtyard, they followed Candice towards the right flank tower. Inside was mostly storage for weapons and other kinds of goods, and a few people to manage all of it. They were met with a staircase built into the walls that lead either up or down. She led them down.

Their steps echoed the farther they went, and when they reached the bottom, the torches were so dim that even the light from their own bodies made it difficult to see. Nevertheless, it was not unmanageable. The halls were straight, and there was hardly anything to trip on even if any of them suffered a misstep. There were doors lined in between the torches, each with numbers carved into them. From what Flint could see within some that were slightly open, they were currently walking past the bed chambers.

After a few moments of walking through the darkened halls, they eventually came upon another set of stairs. But these were small, and led directly to a steel door at the very end. It was faint, but Flint could sear he could hear muffled shouts coming from the other side.

When they came upon the door, Candice knocked three times and a small panel opened up, revealing the eyes of another elemental inside, and making the sounds of cheering coming from within clearer. Once the panel closed after the man got a good look at them, the door was opened to them.

As the three elementals walked through, they were immediately met with a wall of cheering Blackbell Knights facing away from them. From his perspective, it was impossible for Flint to see what they were cheering at, but he could more or less make out the room's layout. It was round, with a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling that gave pleasant lighting to the chamber, at least in comparison to the hallways that they walked through before. The ground was also different from the rest of the fortress; it was made of dirt rather than cement, but it was possibly easier to clean than the harder material, seeing as how most of the walls were lined with scorch marks.

The cheering knights stood aside as Candice moved through them, immediately going quiet once they realized it was their leader, but continuing once she and Flint were past. Igneous was still following closely behind, and shared several words with some of the other men, but it was difficult to know what they were saying from how low their voice sounded amidst the noise.

Flint's attention was suddenly brought back forward when a scream came from the center of the room, and one of the knights was launched over the entire crowd and crashed against the wall. Suddenly, a roar of cheers and applause blocked every other noise in the room, except for one that was just loud enough to pierce through it: the triumphant cheer of the warrior that won the battle. At first, all that could be seen of him was the large spiked mace he held up in the air, but as the group finally made it to the front, he came to full view within the white circle in the room's center.

He was one of biggest and most buff elementals Flint had ever laid eyes upon. Easily standing at seven to eight feet in height, it was no wonder a soldier had been easily flung over the crowd, and several more laid on the ground around him, either to exhausted or bruised to move. With how bent some of their armor was, getting out of it later would be no easy task. Shattered shields and swords also decorated the ground. The big guy's own armor matched that of the other knights, but it was made to fit his large body. Anyone seeing him charging to battle from afar would most likely choose to stray from his path. Even Flint found it hard to imagine standing up against such a brute on his own without some assistance. It would be like facing an elephant head on.

His cheering stopped when he laid eyes on the group, and despite his helmet, his laughter made it clear he currently had the widest of smiles.

"Candice!" he exclaimed in a deep, commanding voice.

"Having fun, Sadr?" she asked, crossing her arms.

He chuckled. "You've made it just in time. I've only finished warming up. Today is the day, you hear? TODAY IS THE DAY!" Both of his arms were raised in the air. "Bring him in! Where is he?!"

A loud cheer suddenly erupted across the room once more, and for a second, Flint was worried that Sadr was referring to him. But instead of just mindless screaming, he could hear a name continuously been screamed among the knights in unison, like a mantra.

"RIGEL! RIGEL! RIGEL! RIGEL!"

Only after several seconds, a loud cheer came from behind Flint, and he turned to identify the cause of it. Entering the ring was another knight, but he was different from the rest. In fact, he was just about the complete opposite of Sadr.

While still tall in stature, about six feet, he was extremely thin, to the point where any more loss of weight would make him look like a stick; save for the fact that he was wide of chest. His armor was fitted to compensate for this, but aside from making him look like the others, Flint failed to see how it would fair in a real fight. And judging by the long double-bladed spear he currently carried on his back, he was about to enter such a fight right now with Sadr.

' _He's crazy,'_ Flint thought. _'Fighting against normal soldiers, maybe he would have a chance. But how can he possibly stand against such a monster?'_

The big brute swung his shoulders around and gave his mace a few swings in preparation. Meanwhile, the skinny elemental stood opposite from him within the center circle, arms crossed and simply waiting patiently. Once Sadr was finished, he pointed his mace towards his opponent, but no words were exchanged.

With a roaring shout, Sadr charged forward at full speed, mace in the air and ready to be brought down towards the ground at full force. Rigel on the other hand, rather than readying his spear, stepped pout of the way with one swift motion, causing his attacker to run right past and towards the crowd of spectators. Luckily, they were all able to move aside quickly, and he ended up crashing against the wall in the back of the room. The hit was so intense, Flint could almost swear the ground beneath him shook ever so slightly.

Regaining his posture, seemingly unaffected by the impact, Sadr turned his attention back to Rigel, who was still waiting within the circle with arms crossed and weapon undrawn. He charged again, with the same speed and ferocity as the first time.

As he came mere inches from ramming his target, he found himself running past once more as Rigel gracefully bent his knees, allowing him to avoid the hit by passing in between the attacker's legs. Sadr was fortunately able to control his speed with more precision, and was able to stop right before stepping out of the circle and into the crowd. As quickly as he stopped, his mace came swinging wildly, and Rigel was barely able to move his head in time.

When he regained his composure, Flint noticed he came dangerously close to receiving a fatal blow. His helmet had a small scratch on its left side. He must have noticed as well, for he raised his hand and felt the area where the scratch was. But he only had a split second to do so before the mace came swinging again.

Now the fight was truly on, but Rigel still held back on drawing his spear. There was still no clear window of attack, however, so maybe that was part of the reasoning. Sadr was mercilessly on the offensive, and he was forced to continue stepping out of the way quickly. And for what felt like the longest time, that was all that was exchanged between the two: furious attempts at blows and quick movements to avoid them.

Flint eventually started to understand. As time went on, he noticed that Rigel remained just as swift as when the fight began, but Sadr was starting to grow tired, and his attacks were becoming slower and easier to evade.

When the time came that Sadr was struggling to catch his breath, the spear was finally drawn.

First, the skinny elemental cut across the brute's leg, causing him to wince and swing his mace towards his attacker's location. The weapon came crashing against the ground, missing Rigel's foot by mere inches. He took the opportunity and quickly ran up his opponent's arm, using his shoulder to jump over his head, and then hitting his head with the spear's stick. The impact sent a loud ringing across the room, and Sadr immediately lost his footing and began to tumble.

Rigel swiped his spear towards the back of his opponent's legs, making him fall to the ground on his back. The crowd showed mixed emotions at the act; some cheering, and others yelling at Sadr to get back up to his feet. Meanwhile, rather than finishing the job right then and there, Rigel simply walked back and forth, spinning his spear around in circles and waiting patiently for the fight to continue.

Once Sadr was back on his feet, Flint was expecting him to continue his attacks with the mace. Instead, he threw the weapon on the floor and charged forward with his bare hands. Despite attempting to get out of the way, Rigel was caught around the waist, and was thrown towards the solid ground. The brute prepared to bring his fist down upon his opponent, but when he moved his head out of the way, the impact affected the area around it instead. Meanwhile, everyone else were still cheering one, caring very little about one of them dying or not.

Rigel acted quickly and took landed his own set of punches against his attacker's head during his daze. They were not strong punches, but they were delivered in such quick succession that it made the mace heading for his head miss. Now, with hands pinning him down, Rigel quickly took his spear and took a defensive position, while Sadr roared in anger as he got back to his feet as well.

A sudden silence fell over the entire room. Neither fighters nor audience made a sound. All there was to hear was the metal clanging of their armor as they prepared for each other's attacks. When nothing happened, Igneous groaned and pushed his way to the front.

"Finish each other off already!" he shouted. "Compared to other times, this is taking an eternity!"

As he finished, Sadr was the first to charge, and Rigel followed right after.

When they came within close proximity of each other, Sadr swung his mace horizontally, trying to hit his opponent's head. But Rigel simply ducked underneath it, making the bigger elemental lose his balance. When he regained it, he attacked with the mace once more, this time aiming to crush him.

Rigel jumped out of the way as the heavy weapon came down with extreme force. Before Sadr had the time to lift his arm back up, the smaller elemental was quickly making his way up the limb. He placed the stick of his spear firmly against Sadr's neck, and held on from behind as he was vigorously shaken around.

Every time Sadr attempted to reach behind himself to, Rigel moved too quickly for him to get a proper grab, and his struggles only made the process worse. Not long passed before the struggle became slower, and clear fatigue clearly began to wash over the mace-wielding knight. So much so that he lost balance and landed on his knees against the dusty ground, dropping his weapon in the process.

When there was no more strength to immediately fight on, Rigel jumped off from Sadr's back, yanking off his helmet in the process. Flint could barely see his face even for a second before he received a blow from his own helmet, which was thrown at an alarming speed as soon as its holder landed gracefully on the ground. And as he laid on his back, unable to reach his mace, Sadr could only stay down as a pair of feet landed on his chest, and the sharp end of a spear was pointed directly at his exposed neck.

"I win…again," said Rigel, looking down at his fallen opponent. Despite his helmet muffling some of his voice, its soft tone was fairly noticeable, and it did not sound like he was bragging. In fact, he sounded indifferent about the fact that he beat someone so fierce.

As the spear was swiftly sheathed, everyone cheered loudly as the winner of the duel jumped down from the loser's chest, dusting off some of the dirt that had gotten accumulated on parts of his armor.

While the crowd was gathering around to congratulate him, Flint tried to get a good look at Sadr's face as he groggily stood up. But he was too late, someone had already helped him put his helmet back on, and also gave him back his mace. Once he took the first heavy step forward, everyone immediately turned to face the undoubtedly angry knight.

"You!" he screamed, pointing his weapon at Rigel.

Despite the clear danger of being attacked once more, the skinny elemental made no move to either draw his own weapon or move away. Instead, he remained in the same place, meeting his larger counterpart's gaze. Flint was prepared to move away if the worst came to pass.

However, it never did, and Sadr began to chuckle.

The laugh became louder and louder until it eventually turned into an uncontrollable guffaw. Everyone else followed suit to laugh, including Igneous. Only Flint, Candice, and Rigel remained quiet until the noise began to die down. When it finally did, Sadr patted his recent rival on the back.

"I almost had you there, Rigel," he said, still chuckling. He placed his pointer finger near his thumb until both were almost touching. "I was _this_ close!"

" _Close_ is not the word I'd use," Rigel responded. "But you managed to stay on your feet longer than before. So that's to be commended, I suppose."

"Oh, I'll beat you eventually. Just you wait."

"I'll look forward to it." Rigel turned his attention to Candice. It seemed like he was about to speak to her, but stopped once he noticed Flint. "And who is this?"

Rather than answering immediately, she turned her head to the rest of the soldiers in the room, and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"Let's pack it up for the night! I need to have a word with my officers."

Everyone saluted, and began to depart from the room at once. Chatter was exchanged between them, either about the fight, encouraging those who lost in their fights as they were helped up, or the fact that Flint was there. Whatever the case, when all of them were gone, all that were left within were him, Candice, Igneous, Rigel, and Sadr.

"Rigel, Sadr, this is Flint," said Candice. "A member of the Fire Kingdom's military. I figured it was high time I showed him what our order is all about."

The two elementals studied Flint for a moment.

"A possible newcomer, eh?" Rigel said.

He raised his hands and pulled off his helmet, revealing the face underneath. If Flint knew the women of his kingdom well, most would probably call him "very handsome". A well-defined face, bright purple eyes, and a head that was half completely shaved, and half covered by long and smooth strands of orange hair. As far as fire elementals went, he was pretty basic, except for the fact that Flint had never seen one with purple eyes before.

"You could say that," Flint said, responding to his question.

' _This is it. I have to make a good impression and become one of them. But I can't seem too eager. Once I'm in, I'll just go along with their routine and earn their trust. And I'll uncover their secrets.'_

"Uncover our secrets, huh?" Rigel said. "Isn't that cute?"

Almost immediately, Flint was shocked enough that he almost lost his balance.

"Wha…what do you mean? I didn't…" _'What just happened?! How did he know?!'_

Rigel smiled. "One's thoughts can sometimes be louder than their actual words." He turned to Candice. "This one will need some supervision, I'm afraid."

Flint was too confused to formulate any words. Meanwhile, Candice sighed in disappointment.

"I wish this would've gone otherwise," she said. "But it seems like we're going to have to do this the hard way. Sadr?"

Before Flint could react, a powerful punch to the head sent him drifting into unconsciousness.

* * *

 **Note: Not much to say, really. Just hope you're all still liking the story.**

 **-Ooobserver: Heh, I should probably start cutting down on cliffhangers, shouldn't I? But I just can't help it.**

 **-Awolfx9: It's definitely good to be getting back into the swing of things. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Next Chapter: Wardens**


	22. Chapter 22: Wardens

**Chapter 22: Wardens**

Jake's constant footsteps drowned any other noise in the moonlit Grasslands. The magic dog was carrying Finn on his back, walking them both back to their treehouse to get a good night's rest. Needless to say, both adventurers were thrilled at the thought of setting foot in their home once more after so long, even if their exhausted expressions made it seem otherwise.

Simply imagining the second that they rested their heads on soft pillows was enough to nearly make them fall asleep right there. And with everything they had gone through, it would turn out be absolutely no surprise. From Wizard City, to a disserted town right underneath, and then straight to a frozen wasteland, it would definitely go down in the duo's minds as one of the longest and most tedious adventures that they had ever embarked on. And to be able to sleep in a proper bed once more made them happy beyond belief; especially Jake, since he was the one who was doing the traveling at the moment.

Finn on the other hand, while he would no doubt follow suit as soon as they arrived, also felt rather hesitant at the idea. As he looked down at the mark on his hand, imagining the phantom that always haunted his dreams as soon as he closed his eyes.

The human suddenly shivered, and tried to warm himself by folding his arms. There was a strong chill drifting through the large open fields, and there was no warm clothing currently at hand that could protect him from the breeze of night. It was especially worse when the cold made him remember his time locked away in the Witch of Tears' fortress. The cold in the deep dark cells where he and his friends were kept was similar, and whenever he closed his eyes, all he saw was the horrifying image of what had become of Huntress Wizard.

' _I wonder if she's okay,'_ he thought worryingly. _'Weimar took her. But since I don't know where to, I can't go check on her.'_

Part of him wished he could have somehow prevented everything that happened. Down in the tunnels, back when the Witch's deformed creatures had captured them, Jake had reassured him that none of it was his fault; that he, Huntress, and Ice King were willing to follow him. But deep down, he still felt responsible for everything. Perhaps it was wise to turn back as soon as things began getting too dangerous, but he was always willing to go forward anyway.

' _But there's no turning back now,'_ he told himself. _'If I do, then what happened to Huntress was for nothing. I have to make sure that whatever comes from this quest is worth all the effort. And I also have to help Flame Princess uncover the secrets of her people.'_

All of the information he had gathered from his visit to her kingdom was still bouncing around inside his head, and he was trying his hardest to make sense of it all. While some of it was simple to grasp, much of it was still up for some further analysis.

The cold made him shiver even more, and changed his train of thought. It made him miss the warmth of the Fire Kingdom, even thought they had departed from it just recently.

After he and Flame Princess had finished their discussion in the vaults of the palace, they met with Jake and Blayze once more in the throne room. There, she explained everything that she had told the human previously, although he had insisted that she kept the entire ordeal between them in her quarters to just the two of them. And she thankfully agreed. Due to her impending trip to the Diamond Kingdom, she was obviously unable to go with them on their mission. However, she had assigned the next best person she could think of to go along in her stead, and Finn was still in debate about how he felt about it.

"Would you be willing to do this?" she had asked her suitor. "I know you must have family here in the kingdom, so maybe they wouldn't take kindly to you going away."

"They'll understand," he replied. "And besides, helping our people uncover the secrets of our history? How could I possibly pass that up? Besides, if I really do plan on leading one day, I have to be willing to take up arms."

She smiled at him, and the two shared a brief embrace. Finn was neither happy nor angry at the sight. In fact, he wasn't sure what to feel anymore when it came to Blayze. He was still some getting used to, but if there was ever a time where the human could take the time to actually learn something about the elemental, a long trip such as the one awaiting them was probably the best bet for the time being.

' _He makes her happy,'_ he realized. _'It's so obvious whenever they're around each other. I understand fully well that, even if he wasn't in the picture, Phoebe and I ending up together would still be near impossible. She made her choice, and it's one that's probably best for everyone, including me. Maybe this is all a sign that I'm meant to be with someone else. And yet…why do I still feel this way? Why am I still constantly wishing deep down that she and Blayze were apart? Glob, I really am a jerk.'_

"Jake," he called out, wanting to talk about something to get his mind off the subject, and to keep himself awake. "You still have that map we got from the place in Wizard City?"

"Yep," the dog replied through a yawn. He stretched out the hand where the map was still drawn, while forming a new one so as to not lose his balance while walking. "Here it is."

Finn studied the details of the map up close, and almost instantly noticed something off.

"This map shows only one location in the Desert of Doom," he said. "The Cinder Gate that the princess showed me had four slots for the gems it needs. Do you think this map leads us to all of them, or do you think it leads to something else?"

"Not sure," Jake replied. "Maybe all of them were moved to just one place. I hope that's the case. That way, we'll be saved from an exhausting trip."

The young hero could hardly blame his friend. After everything they've been through, and with all of the information told to him all at once back in the Fire Kingdom, maybe it was wise to discuss the exact details after a good night's sleep.

"Finn!" Jake suddenly exclaimed in a whisper.

His sudden halt made the human nearly fall off his back. The dog grabbed him the waist with a stretched-out hand before he fell, however, and took them both behind a large rock. After shrinking back to normal size, he placed a finger against the confused hero's lips to keep him from talking to loudly.

"What is it?!" Finn asked, flustered but quietly, after his mouth was free. He looked over the rock and noticed their treehouse in the distance, only about a minute away had the two continued as they were going.

Jake ignored his question, sniffing the air several times. "Something doesn't smell right."

"What do you smell?"

"I'm not sure, but I ain't taking any chances. The smell is nothing like how it is normally around here. You have your telescope with you?"

Finn reached into his green backpack and pulled out the item in question. Leaning over the rock, he closed one eye and used the other to look through the glass, and a close up of their home came into view. But even after scanning the area for a few minutes, he never spotted anything off.

"I don't see anything, Jake."

"Keep looking, dude. Just to be sure."

The human groaned and continued his search. After a bit longer, he spotted something move on the roof of the house. For a moment, he thought it was just a shadow. But then he noticed even more movement. Then, even if it was for a split second, he noticed exactly what was wrong.

"Wizard police," Finn said. "They're waiting at our house!"

He put the telescope away and sat behind the rock with Jake.

"Ugh, great," complained Jake. "It's an ambush just for us. What are we gonna do? Those guys are packing some serious magic, and I don't know if we can take them all on. They'll see us coming no matter what. And there's also Beemo and Neptr!"

Finn remained silent for a moment, trying to come up with something. "Dang. These guys must really want us gone for them to come all this way instead of staying in Wizard City." He sighed. "We can't do anything right now, though. Like you said, they have a lot of power, and they'll definitely see us coming without any cover from here to the house."

"Can they even do this?" Jake wondered. "I mean, I know we escaped from their prison, but isn't it a little extreme to hunt us down like this? Oh Grod! What if they're waiting in Lady's house too?!"

The human sighed. "One thing's for sure, we can't just run up to our house and fight right now. Maybe our best bet is to check on your wife/girlfriend to check if she's safe. If she is, we'll spend the night there, and start our journey tomorrow."

"And Beemo? Neptr?" Jake asked worryingly.

"This isn't the first time our house's been broken into. And every time it happened, they were able to hide with no problem. We can only hope they found a safe place to hold out. But until this situation blows over, we can't risk facing off against so many opponents with magic on their side, on an open field, without some extra help. They can attack from a distance. We can't."

"What about that mark of yours? You disabled a ward with it. Can't you summon like a magic missile or something?"

"Or the pressure of being shot will make me blow up the entire house instead. We can't risk that either." He raised his hand, and the mark glowed. "I have no idea what this thing is capable of, or if I can even make it do anything again."

The magic dog seemed uncertain, but he seemed to come to terms with it. "I don't like this. But I'd hate to end up in Wizard City jail again. That one dude who was always staring at me from the other cell while slowly licking his lips…" He shuddered. "Fine. Lady's house it is."

Nodding, Finn took one last peek to make sure they hadn't been seen, and the two began to carefully make their way to their new destination.

' _Grand Master Wizard sent his men all the way here to get us,'_ the hero thought. _'But what, or who, is driving him to do this?'_

* * *

Small chunks of food blew out of Grand Master Wizard's mouth as he roared with laughter. The halls of his palace echoed with the noise, immediately followed by the sound of even more chewing after he was done.

At the foot of his throne, illuminated by a small spotlight being held above them by unseen magics, was a group of six tiny mice, all dressed in black tuxedos with a red bow tie and a top hat. Three of them got in a row, one next to the other. Then, another two ran towards them, making a few tiny hops into the air before eventually jumping to land firmly on the others' hands. And finally came the last remaining mouse, who, just like the ones before him, did a few spins in mid air before gracefully landing on top of them. And with all them together, they formed a small pyramid.

The mouse at the very top took his hat off and bowed. However, instead of being the end of the trick, six pies suddenly flew from the headwear. They spun a few times high above them before eventually plummeting, each one landing on the face of a certain mouse, and they were all left drenched in the gooey blueberries that poured from within.

Yet another laugh escaped the wizard's lips, and he placed down some of his food items for a brief moment to clap.

"More!" he commanded.

As the mice began to perform another trick, he chuckled in between bites. After the humiliation of losing Finn and Jake after they had been captured, and having no success thus far in getting them back, he figured a moment like this would be enough to get his spirits back up. And so far, it seemed to be working splendidly.

But suddenly, in a bright flash that caused him to drop everything in his hands-scaring the mice in the process-a white orb suddenly appeared before his face. The radiance emanating from it was enough to make him cover his eyes for a moment until they adjusted.

"Grand Master Wizard," said a voice coming from the orb. It was distorted, and sounded like more than one person talking at once.

Suddenly realizing the situation, GMW wiped all of the excess food from his white fur and cleared his throat.

"My Lords, th-this is an unexpected surprise," he said nervously. "F-forgive my disorderliness. I was…attending to some important business."

"Hmm, yes," said the orb. "You seem to be _extremely_ busy at the moment. Come to our sanctuary post haste. There is much we need to discuss. In person."

Before GMW had a chance to respond, the flashed again, and was entirely gone in an instant. He was thankful that they blunt and to the point, before he made a bigger fool of himself, but he was also extremely nervous.

' _The Wardens…'_

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he stood from his throne and readied himself for what was to come. Then, he noticed the mice still waiting at the foot of the throne, squeaking quietly and shaking their noses.

"Begone with you!" he commanded. "I have matters to attend to."

The mice instantly began to scatter. As the spotlight above them instantly disappeared, two of them collapsed into each other by accident, causing one of them to drop its tiny hat. After picking it up with its mouth, it scurried after the others, who had already gone. Once all were out, and the hall became silent.

GMW climbed down from the throne and made his way further inside the palace. Several guards stood straight as he walked past them on way, but he paid them no mind. He was in a hurry. The last thing he wanted was to keep the people expecting him waiting any longer than they needed to. At the end of a narrow hall, he came to an elevator big enough for him to fit at the very end, with another guard standing by to open the doors for him. Once inside, the doors closed, and began his quick descent.

When the elevator came to a stop, its doors opened, and they made way for a large, square chamber. Most of it was empty, and the walls had been reinforced with steel, unlike the stones that covered the structure above. There was very little lighting in the room, except for that of two sources. Some small lights pointed towards a wide golden arc against the far wall, and in the center of the room, a light from above illuminated towards a narrow pedestal. And on it, being kept in place by thin silver clamps, was a perfectly rounded white gem, big enough to cover someone's entire hand upon being picked up.

Carefully, GMW moved towards the gem and moved his hands close it. Focusing his mind, he began to feed magical energy into the gem, while the green one placed atop his head began to glow. Once enough energy had been used, he was forced to step back as a white flash erupted from the white gem, and an intense of beam of light shot towards the center of the golden arc, immediately creating a swirling vortex of the same white color.

After mentally preparing himself for a moment, GMW walked forward and stepped through the portal.

On the other side, the metal walls that he was surrounded by just mere seconds before were now completely gone. Behind him was still the same gateway he stepped through, but in all other directions was nothing but an almost empty void. Spread among the vastness, in the hundreds and thousands, were portals almost identical to one that he stepped through, only many of them varied in their color and size. Some were purple and enormous, some were blue and moderate, others green and small, and so on. The only thing keeping him from floating off towards them was the moonstone floor where his feet were planted.

Suddenly, he heard a faint echo come from behind him. Instead of jumping in surprise, however, he remained calm and took his time. He already knew the cause of it.

Turning around, he came face-to-face with a knight. His armor was as white as the vortex behind him, but it was decorated with golden lines that made him stand out. A small visor carved into his gladiator-like helmet revealed a pair of glowing yellow eyes. He wielded a staff with his right hand that matched his armor, and on top of it, a bright yellow orb was placed, and a long black cape hung from his back. Even though he was easily eight feet in height, he was forced to levitate in order to see GMW directly.

"Grand Master Wizard," the white knight spoke.

"Argonath," the wizard replied, slightly bowing his head.

"It's always a pleasure to have you here in the Arcane. Ah, but you didn't come here just to speak with me."

GMW shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I was called forth by-"

"The Wardens," Argonath finished. He grabbed the staff with both hands. "I know."

' _Of course he does,'_ GMW thought to himself. _'It's to be expected from someone in charge of guarding the gateways between infinite realities.'_

He had been to the Arcane on many occasions, though the sight of it still made him uneasy. The thought of so many gateways, and all of them leading to many universes different than his own; he could only imagine what awaited within each one. The Arcane was the empty space between all of them. Every single possibility was accessible through this place. Once, he had even seen himself walk through one of the gates, but he was different. The hair around his body had been black instead of white. After that short experience, a chill went through his spine whenever he was forced to come here.

Argonath flew past the wizard, and with a wave of the orb atop his staff, a path of moonstone was fabricated before them.

"This way," said the guardian.

As the two of them walked, the path before them continued to fabricate itself. Meanwhile, GMW would occasionally look over the edge, where even more countless portals could be seen, stretching out as far as his eyes could see. If he were to fall, there was no way of knowing how far he would go before he fell into a portal. Or if he even would.

After several minutes of walking, the path ended on another vortex. But unlike the one that was used to enter the Arcane, this one was the complete opposite. Rather than being a vibrant white, it was a deep black that made it nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the emptiness around it. It was bigger as well, going up a few meters past the top of the wizard's head. Once they reached it, Argonath turned and gestured his hand towards it.

"Good luck," he said.

GMW was about to go through, but he stopped to look at the knight. "Argonath, you have the gift of foreseeing the future…"

The guardian raised his hand before the conversation continued. "I know what you mean to ask me, Grand Master. But you know the laws of the Arcane. As great as my powers might be, I cannot get directly involved with the history that will transpire within a universe. The path you walk is yours, and yours alone. To ask me of events yet to come would be most unwise. And it would also be unwise to keep the Wardens waiting for you any longer than is needed."

There was no point in continuing the conversation. Argonath was the oldest and most powerful being to ever exist, and there was no convincing him otherwise once he set his mind to something. Disappointed as he was, GMW turned his attention back to the vortex, and hesitantly walked through.

If he wasn't nervous enough before, setting foot in the chamber of the Wardens was enough to tie his stomach in knots. What awaited before the wizard was a long path, similar to the one he had walked on just moments before. But rather than being made of moonstone, it was made of polished ebony, and over the edges on both sides was a pit with no bottom in sight. At the very end of the long walkway was a round platform with five large square columns placed around the edges. At the top of each was a throne made of the same ebony as everything else, and sitting on them were the Wardens.

While GMW made his way towards the platform, he took the time to analyze each one from a distance. On the far right, sitting on his throne like the rest, was a knight donned in armor that looked black from a distance, but was actually a very dark shade of blue. His helmet was shaped like a growling wolf, and his eyes glowed with a vibrant cyan color. On his back was half of what was once a full battle-axe, but only half of the beautifully carved blades remained.

' _Nox. Warden of Shadows,'_ Grand Master Wizard told himself, making sure he remembered their names and titles, so as to not make a bigger fool of himself than he already had.

The one following Nox looked almost identical in every way, and the other half of the battle-axe hung from his back. A few of the noticeable differences were how his armor was golden instead of blue, the same as his eyes, and his helmet was carved after a ram instead of a wolf.

' _Lumen. Warden of Light.'_

Opposite from the two that he had studied, on the far-left throne, was a woman with a ghostly appearance to her. It looked as if she was made of mist, and the only noticeable features to her were the glowing white eyes on her face. The way she sat made it clear she was not as professional as the rest; with her legs hanging over one of the armrests. However, that did not make her any less menacing. While not carrying any weapons, her sharp claws would be enough to tear anyone to shreds in seconds.

' _Phantasma. Warden of Souls.'_

Following Phantasma was another woman, but she was not ghostly in any way. While baring the face and arms of a human, the rest of her body was covered in stunning brown and white feathers, and two large, folded wings protruded from her back. On both sides of he beak-like nose, her eyes resembled an eagle's, and glowed orange like fire. She carried a pair of silver chakrams; one on each hip.

' _Aquila. Warden of the Skies.'_

Finally, in the center of the entire group, was the fifth Warden. His body highly resembled that of a fully-grown man, was donned with finely crafted crimson armor, and held a beautiful broadsword with a black hilt and blade that matched the color of his armor. His head, on the other hand, was a different story. It looked identical to a dragon's, and his scales were as pale as snow. Both horns on the back of his skull, like his wings, were black. They curved all the way around towards the front of his face, and they were sharpened enough to pierce through the toughest of hides. His eyes, like his armor and sword, were bright crimson, and they stared deeply into the Grand Master's mind more than any of the others.

' _Dominus. Lord of the Wardens.'_

When GMW reached the center of the platform, he knelt before the five beings sitting above him. A thin layer of fog that covered the ground ran through his fingers, and the sensation was cold enough to make him slightly shiver. All he could see was his own barely-visible shadow on the ground, crated by the source of a light coming from a high above. But what was creating it, he could never tell.

"My Lords," he said respectfully.

"Stand, Grand Master, and meet our gaze," echoed the deep voice of Dominus.

The wizard did as he was bid, and stood on both feet. He turned his head upwards to see those who looked down upon him.

"We are not happy," said the leader. "Not happy at all."

GMW nervously rubbed his hands together. "M-may I ask why?"

It was a stupid question. He knew the answer, but his mind was currently incapable of forming logical sense.

Nox leaned forward. "Argonath may not be willing to give us news of the future, but he is more than capable of providing alternate methods for us to see what is currently happening throughout the universes. And from what we've seen and heard, you have been too incompetent in putting a stop to the events regarding the mortals, Finn Mertens, and the Flame Princess, Phoebe, in your reality."

"This is unacceptable," said Lumen. "Apparently, she has disclosed information about the Cinder Gate, and the human is now on a quest to retrieve the gems necessary to activate it."

"I don't think we need to remind you of what awaits on the other side of that dammed construct, Grand Master," said Aquila. "What they find could mean the end of not just your universe, but **ALL** of them. The Arcane would be compromised like never before. And it is **YOUR** job to prevent these catastrophic events from starting."

GMW lowered his head. "I'm more than aware of this. But please understand, I am doing all within my power to put an end to this. I just need more time."

"Time?!" Phantasma cackled. "Time is not a luxury for us to give anymore."

The ghostly Warden flew down from her throne, and dived straight into the layer of fog covering the ground. A moment later, a large cloud of it suddenly erupted upwards, and a larger version of her, tall enough to be on par with the Grand Master's own height, stood before him. Without a chance to react, he could stand perfectly still as she dashed behind him and placed one of her sharp claws against his neck.

"Perhaps it's time we found someone new to take your place," she whispered. Her voice was like a constant hiss. "Someone who won't screw up at every turn, and slack off when all of existence is at stake. And I would _love_ a soul like yours for my collection. There's always plenty of other Grand Masters to go around."

"No, please!" he begged. "I will do everything in my power to ensure the situation is fixed! You have my word, I'll put and end to it by myself if I have to! Just give me this one chance!"

"Phantasma, leave him be," Dominus commanded. His voice was always calm no matter the situation, but that's what made him so terrifying.

Phantasma did as she was told and shrunk back to her normal size before flying back to her seat. GMW sighed in relief and rubbed the part of his neck where her claw had been.

"Is it still possible to drive the boy and the girl from their current path?" Aquila asked. "Or are we dealing with mortals who are now beyond reasoning?"

"I believe it's possible," the wizard replied. "At least, I severely hope it is. The human has always been altruistic at heart, and I doubt he will ever stray from that formula of his own volition. However, since my vows have kept me from revealing the truth, it's near impossible to stop him without succumbing to violence, since he holds very little trust for me. And I suspect there might be lies being fed to him as well. As for the princess of flames, I believe that she has unfortunately become a victim of the same ploy. And while temperamental, there's still a chance that she could be persuaded."

"Whatever the case, they must be stopped," said Dominus.

The Warden leader stood from his seat, prompting GMW to kneel once more.

"I don't care if it must be done by force, we must figure out a way to end their pursuit. And if words will not convince them otherwise, I'm afraid drastic measures must be taken. Go back to your realm, Grand Master Wizard. Find the human and the elemental, along with any allies they might be working with. And if someone is indeed pushing them on, I also want this stranger found and brought directly to us. Have your men continue their search, and be as thorough as you possibly can. We would hate to face these mortals in person should the worse come to pass. It would be most unpleasant…for both you and them, that is. You are dismissed."

* * *

 **Note: As you may have noticed, yes, I decided to make Huntress Wizard a main character. Why? Well, I feel like it'll make things a bit more interesting and different than what I normally do by not having it be strictly about Finn and Phoebe all the time. Plus, I wanna expand her character in a way that I feel the show hasn't really succeeded in doing so far.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this one. And I'm especially eager to hear what those who have been reading my stories for a while thought of the little added references.**

 **-Guest: You're welcome.**

 **-Ooobserver: Rest assured, nothing in this story is added "just because".**

 **Next Chapter: Eyes of the Falcon**


	23. Chapter 23: Eyes of the Falcon

**Chapter 23: Eyes of the Falcon**

"Do you see anything?"

Finn did not respond to Jake's question immediately. Instead, the human kept looking through his telescope, keeping a watchful eye out for any threats around Lady Rainicorn's home.

"Nothing yet," he replied.

"They're here," Jake said suspiciously. "I can smell them. And Lady too. They must be keeping her locked in there!"

The yellow dog felt Finn's hand grab his shoulder, but not forcefully.

"I know, man. I'm worried about her too. But we can't just go barging in there. There may be more hiding spots for us to move forward compared to the Grasslands, but there's no way of knowing what they have planned. There might magic ward traps or something."

As eager as he was to charge into the house to check on Lady, Jake accepted his brother's logic and remained in his spot. Looking through the telescope once more, the young hero continued his search for the enemy.

He wondered how a bunch of wizard police grunts could stay hidden so well. The two had faced their forces on several occasions, but they never seemed like the type who would lie in wait for so many hours on end for the off chance that the duo would pass through. And yet, no matter how hard the human scanned the barn windows, nothing came within sight.

Lady must have decided to do some redecorating since the last time he visited, because unlike the normal red color that covered a barn's walls, these were painted light purple, along with the silo further behind it. Finn could hardly be surprised however. Rainicorns loved to change the colors of anything they owned or came across, and Jake's lover was more than capable of changing the entire thing in the span of a few seconds with her magic horn.

That was another thing to consider. Magic. Lady was no stranger to it, so there was the possibility that maybe she was able to do something to avoid getting caught, even by other magic users. But if Jake was certain that he could catch her scent coming from somewhere inside, then perhaps she wasn't so lucky.

"Anything?" Jake asked, growing more and more impatient.

"No, man," Finn answered. He was grateful that there was a small flowing river near the house, so their voices would be harder to hear.

' _If we can get to the house without being seen, there's a good chance that we can jump them before they even realize we're here. But it's the same problem we had with the treehouse all over again, but on a smaller scale. Once we jump out of this bush, it's nothing but open ground all the way to the doors. We'll be seen for sure, especially with the moon out.'_

Once he was finished analyzing the situation, Finn turned his attention to Jake.

"I don't think there's a choice," he said. "Our best bet right now is to run towards the house as fast as possible. Maybe if we go in separate directions we can-"

Finn's plan was interrupted when the sound of breaking glass came from the barn, followed by a woman's scream. It took Finn a second to respond, but Jake was already running.

"LADY!" he shouted.

"Jake, wait!" Finn screamed in an ill attempt to stop his friend. Realizing he would not listen, he quickly drew his sword and jumped from the bush. "I suppose we're doing this the stupid way."

By the time he was able to catch up, Jake had already grown in size to bust down the main doors of the barn. Ready for a fight, both heroes jumped in, shouting war cries as they prepared to face off against an entire group of wizards. But the attack never came; instead, they were met with only Lady Rainicorn, seemingly in no trouble whatsoever, and staring at the two of them with a look of shock that quickly turned to one of anger.

"Jake! Finn!" she said, sounding more irritated than worried. "왜 문을 휴식 것입니다?!"

"What do you mean why would we break the doors down?" Jake asked. "You're in trouble, aren't you?"

"문제? 내가 들었어요 자신 차!"

"Tea?"

Finn and Jake turned their gazes to the spilled liquid on the floor, which seemed to originate from a broken cup.

"Oh," the dog said in realization. "You dropped it and got startled?"

"네입니다. 그것은 아무 입찰 계약을 했다."

Jake shrunk himself back to normal size, looking around the barn as Finn did the same. As far as the two could tell, despite the dim lighting of a few candles, the first and second floors of the house were completely clear of anyone else.

"B-but, I thought I smelled wizard police here!" Jake said, walking next to her.

"경찰? 아, 그 사람. 그래, 그들은 정말 그렇게 처리 문제가 아니었다."

"What?!" Jake exclaimed.

"Dude, what is she saying?" Finn asked, still keeping his sword at the ready.

"She says she saw them, and that they weren't a problem."

Finn raised an eyebrow, and lowered his sword. "Huh? What do you mean by that, Lady?"

"그들은 여기 얼마 전에 몇 가지 질문을 했다. 하지만 그들은 되 고 조금 거친 자를 넣어 하기로 결정 그래서. 그들은 야 묶여는 사일로에 바로 지금."

"Woah, really?!" Jake said, astonished. He turned to Finn. "She says that she tied them up in the silo when they became trouble."

The human's eyes widened. "You managed to fight off and apprehend an entire wizard police squad? Nice!"

Jake chuckled and stretched an arm around Lady and pulled her into a hug. "Ha! I knew it would take a lot more than a few grunts to stop you."

She still kept an irritated look on her face for a few moments, but she eventually gave in and smiled, returning the hug.

"감사, 호박입니다. 하지만 난 아직도 그 문을 완벽 하 게 복구를 기대."

"Heh, yeah…"

Finn finally sheathed his sword, aware that the danger was no longer present. "So where are they?"

After Jake and Lady separated, she pointed outside.

"그들은 격납고에 있어. 그들은 그래서 아침까지 거기 넣어 하기로 헛간에서 너무 많은 소음을 제작 했다."

"She put them in the silo," Jake translated.

Finn nodded, and gestured for the two to follow. "Let's go say hello then."

Jake and Lady followed the human closely behind as they stepped into the cold of night. The gentle flow of the river was the only noise aside from their footsteps, and that of the small gusts that the Rainicorn created as she levitated several inches from the ground. But soon, the air was filled with the slow creaking of a metal door as Finn opened the makeshift door into the silo, and Lady's quiet chanting as her horn began to glow to offer them some much needed light.

The amount of rust spread across the walls made it clear that the structure had been left unused for many years. Whatever once filled its inside was replaced by several miscellaneous objects, stored away by Lady during her time living in this secluded barn. Broken lamps, sealed boxes, repair tools gathering dust, the works. In the very center, however, tied back-to-back by a what Finn assumed was a magic-infused rope, were the four wizard police grunts that Lady was somehow able to defend against.

Three of them were still unconscious, with their heads slumped forward, but one of them was already awake, and reacted as soon as he heard the commotion. Judging by his minute state of grogginess, he was probably just waking up.

"Huh? Who are you?" he asked, looking around in confusion. "Where am I? All I remember was a bright flash and…some woman speaking complete gibberish."

Finn walked forward and opened his mouth to speak, but Jake grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him close before he could get a word out.

"Dude, can we do the 'good cop, bad cop' routine?" the dog asked.

Finn took a peek at the grunt. "I don't think this is the best time, Jake…"

"Aw come on, it's been forever. Please?"

Finn sighed, but he supposed that they would get answers one way or another.

"Fine," he decided. "But let's make this quick."

Jake smiled devilishly, and loosened his grip around the human. As he made his way towards his interrogation victim, he raised his hand and delivered a powerful backhand slap against his face, causing the one tied up to exclaim and nearly fall over. Before his composure was regained, he was tugged back by a large yellow hand.

"Where are the other drugs going?!" the canine shouted.

"Jake," Finn said impatiently.

Jake's response was a slight chuckle. "Sorry. I just wanted to say that for a really long time."

He slapped the other's face once again, and tugged on his shirt once more to meet his face.

"Why does Grand Master Wizard want to catch us so badly?! And why would he go through the trouble of sending you guys to our home and our family's?! Isn't against Ooo law for you enforcer types to hunt criminals outside of your jurisdiction?! Answer me!"

The grunt tried to shake free of Jake's grasp, but to no avail. "How should I know, man? Yes, we aren't supposed to get involved with anything outside of Wizard City, but the big man is _really_ irked about something, and he promised all of us extra pay if we waited to ambush you guys and brought you back to him. As long as they provide the paychecks, we don't ask questions. Only the higher ups have access to any sort of classified info; we're just footmen!"

"You better not hide anything from us," Finn said. "This is my partner's behavior when he's in a _good_ mood. You don't wanna see what he's like when angry. Trust me."

Jake emphasized by morphing his free hand into a spiked glove, followed by a low chuckle. The grunt struggled even more, but a quick fake swing of the large fist close to his face was enough to make him shout.

"I really don't know!" he exclaimed. "He was super secretive about most of the details. All I heard was something about a 'Cinder Gate'. And how you were not allowed to get your hands on some gems or whatever." His voice was beginning to break. "Please don't tell him I gave you guys this information. I just wanna go home!"

As the grunt shivered, Jake turned to Finn. "I think that's all we're getting from this guy. Should we just leave him here and let Lady free them when we're gone?"

Finn analyzed the situation for a moment.

' _Hunting down the gems is gonna be really difficult with these guys chasing us around Ooo. I have no idea who to trust anymore. Grand Master Wizard won't specify the meaning of his actions for some reason, and despite being related to Huntress, can I really trust Weimar? Who's in the right in all of this?!'_

After much debating, an idea hatched in his head. "I think there might be one more use for this guy."

He knelt in front of the law enforcer as Jake released his grip. He was still shaking, but the human gently placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"We'll let you and your friends go, don't worry," he said. "Despite of what my partner may have shown you, we're not bad guys. We can show mercy. But I need a favor from you."

"W-what?"

Finn raised his hand to show the glowing mark. "Have you seen anything like this before?"

The grunt studied the mark for minute, and his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Woah. That is some… _very_ dark magic right there. I've only seen that mark in one other place during patrol. Where did you get it?"

"That's not important. What I want to know is if there's someone in Wizard City, or really anywhere else in Ooo, who has the knowledge to remove it."

There was a moment of silence. "Maybe? Such powers have been outlawed, and barely any wizards practice them. Although…there are those who secretly perform necromantic rituals in the more abandoned parts of the city. There's a chance that they might know something."

"And you let them continue?" Jake asked.

"They offer us a good ransom to let them continue their operations," the grunt replied. "And besides, all of their experiments are done with non-sentient animals, not people. But don't tell the boss that I told you that either."

Jake scoffed. "Corruption. Typical."

Finn took a minute to analyze the situation, and to plan his next words carefully.

"Okay," he began. "Grand Master Wizard doesn't want us to open the Cinder Gate, but he hasn't really given us much reason as to why we shouldn't, or why we should trust him. He's been doing nothing but trying to lock us up nonstop. But I have a suggestion that could benefit both of us. Instead of attacking each other, you'll go back to Wizard City and tell the Grand Master this: he'll stop his pursuit of us while we continue our search for the gems that open the Cinder Gate. In exchange, he'll be more than welcome to come speak to me and Flame Princess in the Fire Kingdom once we've gathered all of them, and once she's back from the Diamond Kingdom.

"If he can properly convince us that opening the gate is really harmful to Ooo somehow, then we'll hand over the gems so that he can do whatever he wants with them. And also, he has to fully assure me that he'll do everything in his power to get this mark removed if we do hand them over. We can solve all of this peacefully, and with no further useless fighting between us. That sound good to you? Or am I being unfair somehow?"

More silence followed as Finn's words were pondered. Some seconds later, the grunt raised his head.

"I guess he'll consider the terms," he said. "From what I heard him say, he would be more than happy to obtain those gems, rather than having them be hidden all the time for anyone to find."

Finn nodded, and gestured to Lady Rainicorn. With a swift motion of her horn, the rope that kept the enforcer bound were loosened, and he was able to free himself and stand on his feet. Once he was out, the rope tightened, keeping the other three still in place.

"Now go," Finn said. "Deliver the message."

"But what about my friends?"

Finn pointed to Lady. "She'll let them go in the morning, after we're long gone from here. And for your sake, you better not try anything you'll regret. Go."

No more words were exchanged afterwards. The man who so desperately wanted to leave was now making his way out of the silo and across the grassy fields as quick as his legs would allow. Once he was out of sight, the human sighed.

"Do you think Grand Master Wizard will accept our terms?" Jake asked.

"Let's hope so, man." Finn yawned. "For now, Lady, can we crash in your home for the night?"

"물론. 당신은 항상 환영 여기입니다."

"She says yes, and that we're always welcome here," Jake translated. "Thanks, sweetie."

"그것은 아무 문제가 없다. 하지만, 내 생각 엔 적어도 신세 정확히 무엇으로 설명에가 고 두에는이 퀘스트입니다."

"It's a really long story," Jake replied. "I'll tell you about it in the morning during breakfast. And I promise I'll find a way to get the doors fixed, alright?"

Lady nodded, and the three of them left the silo to sleep the night away.

* * *

Huntress failed to decide what was worse: the times when her entire body felt numb and she was unable to move, or the few moments when her senses actually returned, but were accompanied by a wave of endless pain across her entire person.

The pain had been coming in faster pulses recently. One second, her ability to move her limbs came, but the next she was back to going limp when the aching sensation every time she tried to move was too much to bear. The same happened when she tried to move her eyes at all. They felt extremely heavy, and even when she did manage to slightly open her eyelids, she could see nothing but pure darkness.

"He…Help…"

Her words were barely audible. She doubted that even someone standing in the same room as her would be able to hear them.

Once more, the pain returned, and she tried her hardest to move. But the ordeal was fruitless. No matter how much she tried, all she could manage to do was lift her arms a few inches off of wherever she was laying, before the numbness took over as she felt nothing. With a weak sigh, she gave up, and refused to try and move when the opportunities kept coming.

All she could hear was the steady, raspy breathing coming from herself, and the slow beating of her heart. Where she was, or how much time had passed since she entered this state, it was impossible to know. All she could remember was being in the clutches of the Witch, and then the most painful sensation she had ever felt as icy fingers dug into her head. Afterwards, it was nothing; just an endless void before her, and no way of telling which direction was up, down, left, or right anymore. She was noting but an empty shell now.

Would she ever be able to run through the forests again? Would she be able to feel the adrenaline of chasing down worthy prey? Will people just grow to forget about her as the years went by?

Was she even still alive?

That last question made her more uneasy than the rest. Maybe this is what death was; just an endless void, where nothing exists, and all you can feel is whatever sensation you were going through during your last moments. Maybe it was her eternal damnation to feel the pain she had gone through before her life was stripped away entirely. Perhaps her heartbeat and breathing were just echoes of the very last times she experienced both sounds.

' _Don't be stupid,'_ she told herself. _'You know better than to find some sort of symbolic meaning behind something you've made yourself familiar with in the past. This isn't some kind of punishment, nor is it the end. It's just the childish ploy of a witch who'll soon learn her lesson.'_

Putting aside all thoughts inside her head, Huntress allowed herself to relax her muscles and eyes, making the pain tolerable every time it came back. And as the numbness returned, she allowed herself to try and sleep, but it was in vain. As lessened as the pain might have been, there was still no possible way of ignoring it, and it prevented her from drifting away completely.

As frustrating as it was, she had to come to terms with the fact that there was no way out of her current predicament. At least, not on her own. But for all she knew, she had been thrown back into the same cage the Witch's minions had taken her from, left on the cold floor to die slowly, if that was the case, it would only be a matter of time before she was truly dead, and even longer still if they were lucky enough to escape in order to find someone capable of helping her out of this vegetable-like state. However, maybe that was not the case. Through the pain, she never felt herself lying on stone, but rather a soft surface.

" _Broke it…"_

The words startled Huntress, and her sudden jolt made another wave of pain wash over her. But try as she might, all that surrounded her was still darkness, and the source of what she heard was nowhere to be found.

Was she hearing things now? That was the last thing she needed.

" _You broke it…"_

Now Huntress knew she was definitely not just hearing things. The first time, it was just a whisper that she could barely make out, but now, she could hear the feminine voices clearly, and all she felt at the point was a mixture of anger and utter sadness.

"Go away…" Huntress tried to speak, but her voice was still low. "I know I'm just hallucinating. You're long gone…"

There was silence for a brief time, but the voices continued. They spoke in unison.

" _We were always so kind to you. Always willing to help you, and you were willing to help us. But then you left. Why? Why did you leave?"_

Huntress was hesitant to respond, but something deep within told her to.

"You know why. Everything you did…"

" _We did for you,"_ the voices interrupted. _"Don't you remember that night? The fire. The screams. Their laughter as they saw everything burn. And we watched. Scared and without hope. Lost and without guidance. It was up to us to create something new with our lives. With our great gifts. But you didn't see it that way, despite everything we went through. We made a promise to each other, that we would look after ourselves. But then…you broke that promise. Broke it…"_

They continued to repeat the same two words, and Huntress tried her best to not hear them.

" _Broke it. Broke it! BROKE IT!"_

Just before she let out a scream, the voices came to a sudden halt, and the only sounds were her breathing and heartbeat once again.

It took a moment for her to realize, but the pain had subsided. It was still there, but weak enough so that she could actually move her limbs more than just a few inches. Also, it was rather blurry, but she could swear that she was starting to _see_ something.

"Huntress," spoke a voice right in front of her. She instantly recognized it as Weimar.

"Master?" she asked, her voice now sounding a bit better and clearer than before.

"Easy, child," the old wizard said, while holding onto her left shoulder. She was unsure how she got to the position, but from what she could feel, Huntress was sitting at the edge of a bed.

As her vision began to clear, she could now see him standing in front of her, concern showing on his face despite his having no color to them. She tried to blink a few times, and she felt her eyelids close, but for some odd reason the brief darkness that came with it never showed itself. In any case, as her grandfather's face became fully clear, along with the warm candlelight that showed she was in his abode, she sighed in relief.

"You healed me," she said.

He smiled, but there was no happiness to it. "I did the best I could to free you from the curse that the Witch had placed upon you. You may feel weak for a time, but you should be back to your normal self soon. At least, most of your normal self."

Huntress was confused. "What do you mean?"

Weimar said nothing. Instead, he stepped to the side, giving her a helping hand as she stood from the bed. During the process, she noticed other odd things; when she briefly turned her head down, her sights remained forward, and she also felt slightly taller than usual, and her sight was somewhat sharper than she once remembered it being.

A brief look at the window showed her that it was nighttime. And as Weimar helped her move across the room with one arm, while holding his staff with the other, a thought occurred to her.

"Master, what happened to Finn?" she asked worryingly. "And Jake? And Ice King?"

"They're all safe," he replied. "Help came just in time, and you were all brought back to safety."

"I need to go to them. I have to make sure…"

"You will do no such thing. You need to recover first. You're weak from the experience. Plus…there is a matter that we must discuss."

Huntress was confused. But as she and Weimar reached a nearby mirror, she nearly tumbled in shock of what she saw.

On her shoulder, scratching one of its wings, was small brown and white falcon. The tip of its beak was black, while the part that connected with the rest of his face was bright yellow. Its tendons were sharp, but just short enough so that they didn't pierce her clothing while on his current position. As it raised its head entirely, its yellow eyes glowed with the small amount of light in the room, but its wide pupils were as black as the void she had been forced to see before she had awoken; its look was stern, and it showed signs of wisdom.

But one of the details that unnerved Huntress the most, and it was the first she noticed, was that her eyes were the exact same as the feathery creature.

"What…is this…?" she asked, still staring at the mirror.

Weimar seemed saddened. "I'm afraid that, while I was able to bring full function back to your motor skills, the curse placed upon your eyes was too great for me to fix. While the one placed upon my own eyes is far worse and cannot be undone, I refused to let you remain blind as well. So, I had to find alternative means of giving you your sight back."

The falcon suddenly screeched, and flew away as it spread its wings. Weimar was forced to keep Huntress from falling over as she was suddenly taken across the entire room, but never without touching the ground. As wings flapped in front of her, she was suddenly turned around, and was left firmly placed on the archway over the house's door. But in the distance, still standing in front of the mirror, was she and her grandfather.

As Huntress turned around slowly, she met her own gaze from across the room.

"His name is Gaile," said Weimar. "He will be your eyes from now on."

* * *

 **Note: Another day, even more mystery.**

 **-Guest: Thanks!**

 **-Ooobserver: Meh, I don't blame you. I suppose it's for the best if people forget where those references are from… (Argonath and the Arcane were both in** _ **The Dragonstone)**_

 **-Fiery Crusader: I swear your reviews get longer with every chapter lol. Not complaining though. I love to read theories.**

 **Next Chapter: Biology Lessons**


	24. Chapter 24: Biology Lessons

**Chapter 24: Biology Lessons**

* * *

 _Quest for the Gems: Day 1_

 _Location: Somewhere in the Grasslands_

 _Time: 1:13 PM_

* * *

"Where are theeeeeey?" Jake moaned, lying face-up in the grass beneath a tree's shadow.

Finn eyed the nearby green hills for a moment longer, and then sighed. "I don't know. But they should be here soon. Just be patient."

The canine groaned. While Finn would've preferred for him to be quiet, he could understand his annoyance.

Both of them had arrived in the Grasslands about two hours earlier. Despite how tired they were from every ordeal that transpired in the past day, the human had insisted that they wake up as soon as the sun came up to start the journey. They couldn't just leave immediately, however. Aside from eating breakfast and dealing with their hygiene, Jake had to take some to time to explain the reasoning behind their quest to Lady, which took longer than either of them would have liked. And even longer still to alleviate her fears once every detail had been covered.

"Don't worry," the dog had reassured. "It'll just be like any other adventure the two of us have been on over a hundred times. It'll be a cakewalk."

She still seemed unconvinced, but he placed a light kiss on her cheek for reassurance.

"I promise I'll be back. You know me. I can't just leave Finn to go without some magic dog action. It wouldn't be a bro-like thing to do."

Lady eventually smiled and seemed to have accepted it, but as the two were leaving, her eyes still made it clear that she hadn't fully.

Jake was probably wishing he was still with her now. On their way to this spot, Finn had made contact with Ice King with his phone, telling him where they could all meet. He sounded excited, as expected, but they were still unsure about whether or not he would be a good addition to the trip, until they remembered that ice equals water. The same with Blayze, though he took some extra time to contact. Before they had left the Fire Kingdom, the two heroes were told that in order to let the elemental know where to meet, they needed to find any source of fire and speak some mysterious phrase. What the words meant, they didn't know, but after they lit a match and chanted them, his face appeared in the fire, and they were able to speak.

Now, all they could do was wait. With how far away the Desert of Doom was from their current location, Finn dreaded the thought of them losing an entire day of travel. And with how cold the temperatures got in the desert during nighttime, not to mention that there is a reason for why it's called the Desert of "Doom", he was doubly worried of having to camp out in it during late hours.

But that was only the start of his worries. They had received no word thus far about the terms they had sent to Grand Master Wizard, so there was also the possibility that more enforcers from Wizard City would be waiting for them on the way. Even if their group consisted of four people, the longer they went without encountering any magic users, the better. Lady might have been able to deal with some, but she was magic herself. Until he could fully master the mark on his hand, Finn was not.

' _Do I even wanna master it?'_ the young hero asked himself. _'I might have to if it's the only option during a tough situation, but even then, I wouldn't trust it. That cop we let go last night to deliver the message made it clear it contained dark magic…whatever that means.'_

His thoughts were halted when he spotted two figures approaching over the hills. One flying across the sky, leaving a trail of ice behind him, and the other from the ground, leaving behind a burnt trail of grass.

Unsurprisingly, Ice King made it first, landing right beside the two heroes with a few final flaps of his beard. Without speaking, Finn could already tell why he had taken so long to arrive. He was carrying a traveling pack that was as big as his entire body, and judging by his heavy breathing, flying with its weight was not so easy.

"Hey…bros…" he said, still panting.

"Ice King, what is this?" Jake asked as he got up to his feet.

"It's…all the stuff we'll need. I brought some sandwiches, books, board games…"

"Why would we need board games and books?" the human asked.

"In case we get bored, obviously," replied the wizard as he removed the pack and placed beside him. "Every trip needs a bit of fun!"

Finn and Jake knew better than to continue arguing, so they just accepted it. A few minutes later, Blayze arrived as well, carrying nothing with him but his signature bow.

"Sorry I'm late," said the elemental, sounding less tired than one would expect after so much running. "I had to deal with some personal matters." He stopped when he saw the pack that Ice King brought. "Geez, did we pack enough?'

"You can be all sarcastic now, but trust me, you'll thank me later when we're all having fun together while rolling some dice," Ice King said.

"Don't expect me to carry any of it, though," Jake mumbled, so quietly that only Finn could hear him.

Unfortunately for the dog, all of them would be riding on top of him towards the Desert of Doom. With how far Ice King flew with the pack, he was incapable of continuing above the group. They thought Blayze would be a problem, but the elemental promptly reminded them that he could cast Flame Shield by using it on Jake. Once all were on, their journey officially began.

Along the way, Finn, Jake, and Ice King shared a few words with each other, mostly about mundane stuff. Blayze joined in every so often when something was directly asked to him, but he was the quietest of the group. He mostly spent his time looking off into the distance, thinking of something that Finn probably had no business asking about. Eventually, he began to get lost in his thoughts as well, until the only sounds were Ice King reading one of his newest Fionna and Cake fanfictions out loud to Jake, much to the canine's dismay.

While sleeping at Lady's house, Finn had been lucky enough to go through the entire night without the Phantom visiting his dreams, which he was very grateful for. But how long would that last? Would he be seeing her again in the late hours to come, or did she fully run out of things to tell him? Whatever the case, all he could do was wait and see.

* * *

As was feared, the four of them had left for the Desert of Doom too late. Even with how much distance they covered in Jake's large form, by the time they reached the outskirts, where grass met sand and large oaks became thin palm trees, the sun was on the verge of setting completely.

It was visibly obvious that Jake was beginning to grow tired, and continuing on during the night in the desert, when the temperatures where at their lowest, would most likely be a bad idea. If they wanted a chance to explore this wasteland with better visibility, they would most likely need to camp out for the night.

"Jake, stop," Finn told his brother. "It's too risky going into the desert at night. We'll camp out here."

The magic dog was clearly relieved. Not only did he finally have the chance to stop after walking for hours, but he could get the sleep that he desperately wanted after being woken up so early in the morning. All three humanoids jumped off as he went back to his normal size, with Ice King nearly falling over from having to keep his travel pack from keeling over; a task made harder by the fact that their legs were numb from sitting for such a long span of time.

As the rest of the group stretched, Finn looked at their surroundings. Depending on where he looked, he got two completely different environments. Behind them was still the lush green grass of Ooo's center field, but in front of them, and the place that they were trying to get to, was nothing but sand dunes as far his eyes could see, decorated with abandoned constructs and skulls from large animals that once inhabited the scorching plain. His attention was brought back to the others when Ice King zipped the pack open and pulled out some sandwiches.

"Okay, who's hungry?" he asked, holding two of the packed treats in his hands.

"Do they have peanut butter?" Jake wondered. The wizard nodded. "Aw yeah!"

Finn got his own sandwich after Jake, and the three of them of them began to eat. Blayze, however, had gone on to gather stray pieces of wood and placed them all together in a pile, quickly creating a warm campfire. Ice King had been nice enough to include bedrolls along with everything else he had brought, and once flame shield had been placed on one of them, each member of the group gathered around the embers.

"Not the most productive day," Finn said, "but at least we made some headway."

"You mean _I_ made some headway," Jake said, looking peeved. But he was only able to maintain the expression for a few seconds before chuckling. "I'm just messing. This is actually nice. When was the last time we went camping?"

"I don't remember. Months? A year? It used to be about once every two weeks or so."

Ice King sighed, smiling. "Yeah…those were the days. We really shared some good memories on those trips."

Jake spoke with a mouthful of food. "We never invited you, Simon. You just kept showing up. But hey, at least you were better company than when it was LSP."

They all shared a laugh at that. When their sandwiches were finished, Jake yawned.

"I'm beat," he said. "Wake me up when…"

Before he could even finish, he had fallen flat on the bedroll and began snoring. Ice King followed soon after, no doubt tired from all the weight he had carried earlier in the day.

Now, it was only Finn and Blayze left.

No words were exchanged between the two for the longest time. The human would turn his eyes in different directions, but he always failed to turn his gaze away from watching the man beside him working with the string of his bow.

"So…," Finn said, thinking of something to spark a conversation. "You've been really quiet the entire day."

The elemental stopped his motion, seemingly taken back by the human's observation. "Have I? Sorry, it's just…I've had a lot on my mind lately, and constantly thinking about it all makes it difficult to follow a conversation for so long."

Finn nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, why do you use a bow? Aren't all fire elementals able to shoot fire from their hands."

While continuing to stare at the weapon in his hands, the lightest of smiles appeared on Blayze's face. "There's actually a valid reason for it…but you'll see it in time. I think it's better as a surprise."

"Oh." _'Come on, Finn. You can't keep hating this guy forever. Try and get to know him a little.'_

He tried to think of something else. "Is Phoebe the first girlfriend you've ever had?" _'Great. You somehow made things even more awkward, idiot.'_

Blayze thought for a moment. "There were a few in the past that I tried to make things work with. But I was always busy with other matters, so things never really worked out. Here's hoping that they do this time around."

Finn only nodded some more, and tried to think of another subject, but nothing came to his mind immediately.

"How about you, Finn?" Blayze asked, breaking the human's train of thought. "Surely with how popular you are around Ooo, you must've found at least a few people who strike your fancy."

He thought about the question for a moment, remembering a time when an entire forest danced along with the tune resonating from a pair of flutes. "There is one. I guess you could call her a traveler, like me. We met a while ago, before all of this started, but…I'm still not too sure if she feels the same way about me."

Blayze tilted his head in interest. "Oh? Who is it?"

Finn remained silent for a while longer, refusing to meet the gaze of the man sitting next to him.

"B-By the way, I noticed that you didn't pack any coal or anything to eat," he finally said, not-so-nonchalantly changing the subject. "Aren't you hungry?"

The elemental noticed the divergence in the conversation, but he understood and let it slide, chuckling instead.

"Let's just say that, since we're entering a desert. I didn't find it very necessary. Ah, but you probably don't know what I'm talking about. We fire elementals are…a lot more complicated than you might expect."

Finn remained silent once more, analyzing his words. He had never even realized it until now, but during the years that he has known Flame Princess, he never really took the time to figure out how her people actually worked as a species. In fact, the same could be said about almost any other civilization in Ooo. All he ever focused on was their personality and appearance, but not their bodily needs or basic functions. And as someone who relied on knowing the weak spot of his enemies whenever in a fight, that was kind of a big deal.

"So, since the night's still kinda young, and Jake and Ice King are already asleep, why don't you give me some brief biology lessons?" the human asked.

Blayze studied his face for a brief moment, wondering if what he was saying was serious. "I never figured you were interested in such things."

Finn shrugged. "Phoebe and I had a good run together when we dated, but I never really took the time to learn much about her people. And besides, if she wants us to get to know each other so badly, why not take this as a sort of bonding moment?"

A smile formed on Blayze's face, and Finn followed suit. "Well, if you really feel like it, I guess we can take some time to talk about it."

The elemental let his hand hover over the ground, glowing with the same intensity as the campfire currently keeping the group warm. Finn sat straight and gave him one hundred percent of his attention, eager to learn about whatever he had to say. The limb began to shake as small tendrils of fire shot from it, swirling with the cold night air as it made contact with the sand.

Something began to take shape within the orange glow, appearing more humanoid over the span of just a few seconds. By the time Blayze was done, there was a hologram of an average male hovering below his hand.

"Okay," he began, motioning to the hologram with his other hand. "Let's pretend that this is your average fire elemental. On the surface, everything you see is a simple person made out of fire, with the odd exception of some having traits of coal or molten rock as skin. We perform like you would expect. Some of us can use our powers to propel ourselves in the air, like Phoebe can; others can form weapons with their limbs, such as swords, maces, axes, etcetera; and the most common trait, being able to shoot projectile fireballs as a defense mechanism."

Waving his hand around a bit, Blayze formed a small glowing circle in the center of the hologram's chest area. He looked at Finn as he pointed directly at it.

"This is our elemental matrix. It is, by our definition, the heart and soul of any member of my species. It's what keeps us going and gives us the energy necessary to make it through the day. One thing you should know about us, Finn, is that we don't need to 'eat' per say."

The human raised an eyebrow. "What'd you mean?"

Blayze continued. "You know how all of us tend to eat coal every once in a while? To anyone who doesn't know much about fire elementals, like you, they might think it's our primary source of food. This is not the case. Coal, by all intents and purposes, merely serves as a temporary _boost_ to each elemental that consumes it. Because believe or not, my people can spend their entire lives without eating anything. Our real source of nutrition, similar to many other species, but more necessary, is the sun."

"The sun?"

"Yes. Think of each elemental as a solar panel. We obtain power from the rays of the sun during the day, and have excess power to remain functioning during the night after it's gone. However, since certain circumstances, such as working indoors or just a cloudy day, prevent some of us from gaining that solar energy, we rely on coal to keep us going. It fuels our matrix, in more or less the same way the sun would. Just not for as much time. Whenever a fire elemental wakes up feeling groggy, that means their matrix is running low on energy, and they need to either go outside to get some sunlight or eat a considerable amount of coal."

He stared at the starry sky for a moment. "If that big yellow star in the sky suddenly disappeared one day, we would suffer more than most. There's only enough coal in the world to keep us going, even if we currently produce seemingly endless amounts of it from mines. My species relies on daylight more than any other, Finn. We would be one of the first to go."

Finn was perplexed. It was incredible how much he had already learned about a fire elemental's basic functions after just a few minutes. As someone who normally found the whole learning process to be rather boring, he was legitimately interested in the subject being told to him. All he wanted was to keep listening.

"Geez," said the human. "That's heavy, knowing that you'd be vulnerable in a place with no coal or light for a long time."

Blayze nodded. With a flick of his wrist, he caused even more changes in the hologram. Numerous thin and wavy lines were shot from within the representation of the matrix, spreading to every other limb of the body.

"Now, back to the matrix itself. Aside from allowing us to get up from bed in the morning without keeling over, what else does it do? Well, that really depends on the actions of the elemental. If someone decides to spend some time meditating, they can make their bodies slender and more maneuverable. But, if someone is subjected to harsh punishment or exercise, their matrix will adapt to it and harden their bodies so that they may take more harm, which is why most of the guards you see around the Fire Kingdom are rather buff looking. They are subjected to these kinds of treatments on purpose in order to ready their matrix for battle."

"Sounds kinda cruel," Finn said.

"All guard positions in the kingdom are optional at the moment, Finn. And each recruit knows what they're getting into. Bottom line, if an elemental wishes to develop more immunities, or just simply make themselves more durable, it all depends on how they let their matrix adapt. Some may even be able to spend considerably more time than others without sunlight or coal if they isolate themselves in an environment without either. Without pushing themselves to the limit, of course. Essence production also has some play in it."

"Essence? What is that?"

"You know how an elemental 'bleeds' when they're cut? That's not technically blood. It's the energy from the matrix running through our bodies. That which lets us function. It produces less of it the more time it goes without sunlight, and stores most of it away within its core to keep the main body active at night during slumber."

"Isn't that basically still blood in a way?"

"Well, while most people would definitely die from excessive blood loss, as long as our matrix remains intact, all that losing that amount of Essence would do is have us be unable to do almost any sort of physical activity. It would be like…your whole body falling asleep at once, and all you can do is wait until you're healed and more Essence is produced."

They both turned their attention when a groan came from Jake's mouth, but the yellow canine was simply shifting positions on the ground. Knowing that they were not disturbing his slumber, Blayze sighed.

"I'm probably boring you with all of this information at once," he said.

Finn moved a bit closer. "No, no! I'm still interested."

Blayze raised an eyebrow. "Huh. Someone like you, I never would've expected such enthusiasm in learning about something like this."

"Well, it's less boring than math, I can say that much. And besides, this is a bonding moment, remember?"

Chuckling, Blayze continued with his lesson.

"Okay, what else? Um…Oh." He waved his hand around the hologram and placed a small light in the abdominal region. "The reproduction process is something worth mentioning, I guess. Whenever a female elemental becomes pregnant, her matrix uses over half of its energy in developing the infant."

Finn's eyes widened. "But…isn't that dangerous?"

"Very. A female elemental is at her weakest during this period. We're talking about using most of her life force in creating another matrix for the child. This takes time, and a _lot_ of power. It's important that she gets as much sunlight as possible or continuously eats coal to ensure the baby is born healthy and fully developed. Otherwise…there's a chance that both can die. But it's also a known fact that the matrix of a female elemental is more powerful than that of a male's. Not by much, but just enough to further help with this process."

"Man…" Finn whispered, processing the information. He then cleared his throat and his cheeks reddened a bit. "And is the actual…you know… _method_ of reproduction any different?"

Blayze laughed. "No, it's still the same as any other humanoid being. I'm glad, because I really wouldn't want to go into full detail about something like that."

Suddenly, Jake snored loudly and mumbled something in his sleep. "Gah…never do tier fifteen…"

Worried that they were starting to wake him up, Finn moved closer. "Is the whole eating coal thing the reason that Phoebe was able to be kept alive in the lamp all those years? Was she just being fed the stuff most of the time?"

"I don't think so," Blayze replied, sounding a bit unsure. "It's been said that, since its invention, that lamp has had some…unknown magics placed upon it. Nobody's quite sure how it works, but it's always been able to permanently seal away any elemental, no matter how powerful, while consistently keeping their matrix in fully energized in any location."

"Ah. Anything else?"

The elemental thought for a moment, trying to think about something of import that was left to say. Then, he placed his hand on his chin in contemplation.

"I suppose that, even though you're not a fire elemental, no harm would come if you knew about…the Link."

Finn was obviously confused. "The Link? What is that?"

Blayze let the hologram dissipate, apparently having no further need for it. "I said at the beginning that an elemental's matrix is like our heart and soul. But it's even more than that. Think of it as a sort of library, where all of your memories and past experiences are stored should the brain be used for more recent stuff. If given enough time, you can access that library and view those memories as if they were being played out before you like a movie. Some elementals can do this, by either through years of practicing or just natural talent gained since birth."

He placed his hand over his chest, motioning to where his own matrix was located.

"This is me, Finn. It defines everything about me as a person. But at the same time, my matrix is its own being, with a mind of its own. It's something that an elemental must bond with from the minute we enter the world. If I practice enough, when I'm a lot older, I might be able to look back on this very conversation clear as day. But that depends if my matrix is also willing to open itself up to me and help me find it within my mind."

"That's incredible!" said Finn, amazed by the concept.

"Oh, but that's only scratching the surface of the Link's power. There's also the ability to share your memories and emotions with another elemental by 'linking' both theirs and your own matrix together. This is quite possibly the hardest thing a flame person can do with someone else, but it's also the biggest achievement. In order to Link with someone, the trust between both must be at its peak. If you can successfully Link with someone you love, it is considered a way of knowing that you've found the one and only partner for you. The process is usually a bit easier when done with family members, according to experts on the subject."

"Can it be done with people that don't have a matrix?" Finn asked. "Like, say, with a goblin or something?"

Blayze gathered his thoughts for a moment. "It's a matter of debate. The most logical conclusion is that an elemental can only form a Link with another of their kind, but performing the action with another species has not been properly tested yet. There's a slight chance a matrix could Link with someone's mind even if they aren't an elemental, but it's unclear whether it can be done or not."

Finn took a minute to take in everything that was just told to him. For a moment, his smile was wide as he appreciated the new knowledge, but it was gone as soon as another thought entered his mind.

"Have you been able to Link with…Phoebe?" he wondered.

Blayze's own smile disappeared and he stared at the ground while speaking. "No. Like I said, performing the Link with someone else requires a great deal of trust. Phoebe and I have been dating for only a few months, and we're not nearly close enough to that point." He looked back to Finn. "But hey, one can only hope, right?"

Finn would have normally been jealous for such a comment. But now, he actually felt kind of joyful at the thought of the two achieving such a feat.

"Welp," Blayze continued, "I think it's time we got some sleep. We've been talking for a while, and we have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah," the human agreed. "And thanks for the lessons, by the way."

"No problem. Hey, maybe some time in the future, I'll teach you some fire people history."

Finn chuckled at that. "You know a lot about that too?"

"If things really do work out between me an Phoebe, I kinda have to. But anyway, we'll continue our chat tomorrow."

As the two lied down on their respective spots, Finn remained awake for a few minutes longer as he pondered everything that was discussed. When his eyes met the embers hovering off the campfire, he could swear he saw a pair of eyes staring directly at him. But when he focused his vision, there was nothing. Just bright embers drifting in the air.

* * *

Flame Princess gasped as she quickly extinguished the small flame on her palm, staring at the ceiling above her for the longest time afterwards.

The ship had left at first light that very day. Cinnamon Bun had done outstanding work in finding her one that was mostly prepared to depart, and the captain was more than honored to have her aboard as they set sail for the Floating Gems. It wasn't the nicest brig that the Fire Kingdom's navy had to offer, but she hardly minded. It was small, so the winds would carry them quicker across the sea. And the men had made doubly sure that her quarters were as neat as they could possibly be.

She had tucked herself into bed a few minutes ago, but the young ruler could scarcely call herself tired. In reality, she just wanted some actual time to herself after being around so many people for most of the day (and the creaking and waving of the ship wasn't helping to make her sleepy either). The docks at the kingdom were always crowded, and it was a feat on its own for her to hide herself so that she could make it aboard undisturbed.

When night fell as the kingdom's orange glow slowly dimmed over the horizon, she retreated to her quarters. The room itself was nothing over-the-top: just a cabin with a large bed, a desk and mirror for any work or appearance maintenance, and small scones on the walls to provide extra light in the dark.

As she waited to fall asleep she decided to check if she could find Finn and Blayze through a fire source.

"Finn…Blayze…" she said softly, taking in everything that she had seen through their campfire.

The two of them, sharing a nice moment together in the cold of night. Seeing how they smiled at one another…it brought joy to her heart.

' _And Finn…he said something about there being someone he has feelings for. Could it be…that Huntress woman?'_ She remembered her from when he talked about his journey, back in the Fire Kingdom. Unfortunately, she also recalled him mentioning that something bad had happened to her, but that she was getting the best help possible.

Flame Princess turned to her side on the bed, wishing only that Huntress received the treatment she needed. Aside from that minor setback, was everything that she had asked her mother for in the catacombs coming true? Were Finn and Blayze becoming friends? And would Finn actually find love in the near future with someone besides her?

Despite all questions, she knew that only time could provide the answers. As a smiled formed on her face, the princess closed her eyes and began to slumber, but not before wishing luck upon her traveling friends one more time.

"Be safe, you two."

* * *

 **Note: I've decided that I'm gonna be adding location and time stamps at some points during the next few chapters. Otherwise, it'll just get confusing to follow with so many character perspectives.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all learned something here today, and happy Valentine's Day. See you next class-I MEAN, chapter.**

 **-Atomsk the Pirate King: You could say that. Figured it'd be a bit more interesting.**

 **-nico2883: It's definitely good to be writing consistently again.**

 **-Guest: Indeed.**

 **-Ooobserver: Whaaaaat? Pfft, you suspect that I would rip off one of the most popular anime of the last few years for my first story's concept? HA! Please. *** _ **Nervously drinks from a water bottle while sweating profusely**_ *****

 **-Fiery Crusader: Interesting observations. We shall see if they hold out in the chapters to come.**

 **-Anonymous: I'm glad you like it, and look forward to some more stuff in the near future.**

 **Next Chapter: The Infernal Goddess**


	25. Chapter 25: The Infernal Goddess

**Chapter 25: The Infernal Goddess**

* * *

 _Quest for the Gems: Day 2_

 _Location: Somewhere in the Sea, Southeast of Ooo_

 _Time: 7: 22 AM_

* * *

Flame Princess awoke to the same sounds that she heard before going to sleep. A mixture of the ship's endless creaking and the waves crashing against it from the outside. Despite this, spending an entire night within such a confined room was probably the thing that should have bothered her the most. After so many years in a lamp, such places never failed to make her uncomfortable, no matter how many times she was subjected to spend time within one.

Fortunately, such feelings weren't much trouble this time around. The events that had transpired the night before had left her in a good mood, and any thoughts regarding the state of the ship, or the fact that they were in the middle of the ocean, were pushed out completely.

The fiery woman stretched after sitting up on her bed, followed by a few yawns as she allowed her body to prepare for the day to come. When she felted strong enough to move, she left her bed and began to get dressed, while also maintaining her messy hair in front of the mirror. Once all was done, she smiled and made her way up to the ship's deck, where the fresh morning winds blew the smell of salt against her face.

Even if it was still some ways from being fully visible, what little sunlight was already peering its way around the red sails was enough to make Flame Princess feel instantly invigorated. Some workers were already making their rounds, chattering with one another or muttering a jolly chanty as they went about their work. As she went over the starboard railing, making sure not to step on any crates or rope that she might trip over. Along the way, some of the sailors turned to see her walk by, but it only lasted a split second before they resumed their duties.

Looks were something that Flame Princess was used to getting while walking around in public; it was part of being the ruler of an entire civilization. But the men on the ship in particular gave her an uneasy feeling whenever she met their eyes during her first hours aboard. And she would often hear whispers and chuckles as she walked by them. Luckily, the captain had a keen eye and noticed the gawking, almost instantly ordering every single one of them to behave in her presence, lest they get kicked overboard. Afterwards, no one dared to end their work just for a quick peek. It made the princess feel secure, but she was uncertain if she liked the fact that they were being respectful out of fear.

In any case, she refused to dwell on it. As she reached the railing, she was instantly mesmerized by the deep blue ocean that stretched out before her. The wind was strong this morning, so the brig was travelling at a reasonable speed. Below, where ripples formed in the water, she thought she could see small fish swimming out of the way as fast as they could. But what really caught her attention was the small island in the distance, getting closer by the second as they prepared to make a pass-by. A small cloud of smoke rose from a volcano in its center.

As she enjoyed the view for a few minutes, Flame Princess was slightly startled when another elemental stood next to her, but she was quickly reassured when it turned out to be a female elemental, broad of chest and with a hard face, but with eyes that showed kindness along with her smile.

Captain Emberly had been very generous in accepting the young monarch onto her ship, but it wasn't just because she was obligated to. From what others said, Emberly was someone who yearned to be out on the open seas as fast as she could. Her entire family had been sailors, and even though it was one of the most dangerous professions a fire elemental could have, for obvious reasons, the entire species was nothing if not courageous and daring.

"Have a good sleep, m' lady?" she asked with a deep voice and thick accent.

"It was okay," replied the princess. "I honestly got used to the swaying pretty quickly."

"Aye, I know the feeling. It was the same when I first took to sailin'. But now, I can hardly sleep if I'm not out in the open water." She chuckled. "Weird for a fire elemental, no?"

Flame Princess nodded. In many ways, she was glad that the captain was another woman. She was afraid that she would be the only one aboard, but somehow felt like she was in safer hands this way. Maybe Cinnamon Bun had chosen the ship for that very reason.

"I bet you must be proud of your accomplishments," she told the captain. "The _Ashen Maid_ is a fine vessel."

The older woman looked up the kingdom's flag flowing on top of the mast. "I am, and she is. She's been passed down through four generations of my family. And if the wind stays as strong as it is, we should be arriving at the Diamond Kingdom on the morrow. She's as strong as she is swift, even if she's no _Celosia's Fury._ "

Flame Princess smiled with Emberly, and looked over the railing once more. She knew the _Celosia's Fury_ well. The pride of the Fire Kingdom's armada; the biggest and most heavily armed frigate in their possession, with over a dozen cannons on each side. It hardly ever saw the open water, however, and was kept regularly maintained in its port until times of war arrived. Its name was derived from Queen Celosia, the sixth queen of the Fire Kingdom, which is said to have had such unmatched beauty that men would fight each other just for the chance at being anointed as her knights and servants. But history also says that, hiding underneath all of that beauty and elegance, was the fearless commander that led the kingdom's troops to victory after the king had fallen in battle, and was immortalized as a heroine.

After a moment of silence, she spoke once more. "Captain, do you know what's on that island?"

Emberly turned her gaze to the piece of land in question. "Couldn't tell ya. I've sailed by it many times, but never bothered to dock at its beach. Nor have I seen anyone walking along its surface. But from what I understand, all locations like it along the borders of Ooo are relatively safe, and are neutral ground. There's not much reason to visit them,"

"What do you usually make these trips for?"

The older woman looked to the opposite side of the ship. "There's a reef not too far from here with many mineral deposits, which can be sold for a high price to the right buyers. Mostly blacksmiths and the like. Some of it is stored within old naval vessels sunk during the Great Mushroom War. Me and my crew personally volunteer to go swimmin' for them every time using special diving suits."

Flame Princess was shocked. "You go underwater?"

Captain Emberly nodded. "Aye. It's dangerous, yes, but not many others are willing to do it. But the reward is worth it. Plus, you would be amazed at how gorgeous the bottom of the ocean is, m' lady. There's all manner of creature down there, and many vibrant colors."

Flame Princess could only imagine such wonders. Apparently, according to what she heard, there was a time when Finn himself was afraid of the ocean, but he eventually got over that fear. That was one less thing the two of them had in common. At least now he could see those wonders for himself; she could not.

"It must be quite the experience, to go where most of our race can't," said the young ruler.

Emberly's only response was her undying smile and nod. As the two elementals stared over the side of the _Ashen Maid_ for a while longer, they suddenly heard an extra pair of footsteps right behind them. Turning, Flame Princess was surprised to see Leif up and about.

The Diamond Kingdom messenger had insisted on being left undisturbed once he was introduced to his own cabin, working on his own kingdom's business no doubt. He and the princess has shared a very little amount of words since their meeting in the palace; the only time she caught sight of him was when he needed a new layer of flame shield. They had only spoken when meeting to board the vessel bound for his home, and even then, the words were few. Judging by the look on his face, it was clear that he was not one to sail across the ocean regularly, especially given his rather tenuous nature.

"Good morning, your highness," he said, being respectful as always by bowing his head.

"Good morning," she said in kind. "Did you have a pleasant sleep?"

His gaze immediately responded that he had not. "It was…manageable. It's not the first time I've set sail and was forced to sleep under these conditions. Though a warm bed under a stable roof would be nice."

Emberly chuckled, and Flame Princess simply smiled. The man joined them in admiring the distant blue horizon.

"I can't wait to go back home," he said. "I mean, do not mistake me, your land is a sight to behold, but nothing can ever quite replace the beauty that I've witnessed by living in the Diamond Kingdom all my years." He turned to the two women. "No brag intended, of course."

Flame Princess slightly bowed her head in understanding. "I'm as eager as anyone to see it. Though I imagine a person made of fire would draw a bit of attention from the locals."

"Yes, but you shouldn't let it disturb you during your stay. Our borders may be closed off to outsiders, but that does not mean we're unwelcoming of any that come when invited; even if you are made of fire. And besides, you won't be the only princess attending, so I figure that the attention won't be on you alone."

"I see." She gazed over the flowing waters in silence for a moment. "What can you tell me about the king's heir? Valkrin, was his name?"

Leif nodded. "I've never spoken to him myself; only observed from a distance while performing my duties. But those who have spoken to him say that he resembles his father in many ways. He cares deeply for those who will soon be under his rule, and wants nothing more than for there to be peace between our lands."

"Would her highness like to ask if he's handsome or not as well?" Emberly whispered into her ear, smirking. The princess blushed and gently shoved the captain's shoulder.

"What? No! I already have a suitor. And besides, I don't think Diamond Kingdom law would allow anything between us."

"Aye. But I never said anything about being with the man. Your eyes are meant to experience the beauty of the world. To maintain them on just one person for the rest of your life, that would be a waste for vision such as ours."

A chuckle escaped the princess' lips, even if her mindset was not exactly the same as the other woman. "Do you have anyone you love back home, Captain?"

Her smile seemed to drop, but not entirely. "A little girl. Gonna be eleven years old in a few months. My sister watches over her while I'm out in the sea, since her father died of sickness shortly after she was born."

The princess felt saddened. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you," the captain said, with her smile now fully gone. "But he at least got to see her as a babe, so I suppose that's one upside. She's always askin' me if she can come with me on trips, but even if I wanted to, this is not something I want her to experience just yet. She's too young, and much is prone to go wrong when surrounded by nothing but water."

Emberly's worry was understandable, and the subject was dropped while they continued to admire the view. The small island that had once been distant was closer now, and several seagulls could be seen flying along its coast.

Flame Princess eyed the island curiously. Everything seemed normal enough; a beach with clear sand, several mossy rock formations, palm trees covering everything beyond it. But for some reason, there was something…uneasy about the shadows cast by the dense vegetation. For a brief moment, she could have sworn there were pairs eyes staring directly at her from the dense vegetation, but found nothing when she scanned the area where they had been.

" _Come…"_

A light gasp escaped the fiery girl upon hearing the voice. It was low, practically a whisper, but it was there nonetheless.

"Captain Emberly," she began, not taking her eyes off the coast. "Are you sure no one inhabits that island?"

There was only silence for a few seconds as the question was pondered. "Like I said before, no. At least, as far as I know. I doubt anyone would want to make their home near an active volcano. Why do you ask, m' lady?"

There was no immediate response. Instead, Flame Princess continued to stare forward, trying to catch another glimpse of the eyes, but to no avail. "It's…nothing."

A cloud of smoke kept coming from the volcano, but it was small and white, indicating that it would be a while longer before the mountain erupted.

" _Come to me…"_

Now Flame Princess knew she wasn't crazy. The feminine voice was clear as day this time, and there was no doubt that the source was coming from the island. She could feel it…somehow.

Taking Leif and Captain Emberly by surprise, she took to the air, using her powers to fly herself over the _Ashen Maid's_ railing and hover over the water's surface. She then faced the people behind her that were looking in confusion. "I need to go check something out. I won't be long."

Dumbfounded, the two still on the ship looked at each other.

"Um, I don't think this is very logical, your highness!" said Leif.

"Agreed," said Emberly. "There is no need to this, m' lady! Come back aboard where it's safe, so that we may continue towards our destination!"

Flame Princess understood their worry, and for a second, she thought about complying with their desire. But then the mysterious voice echoed in her mind once more.

" _We have much to discuss. Come forth…"_

Try as she might to resist it, it was more than just the voice itself that caught her attention. It felt as if some greater power was tugging at her, beckoning for het to fly in the direction of wherever the strange force was coming from. Before she knew it, she was already flying at full speed towards the island, paying no attention to the shouts coming from the ship now far behind.

Below, Flame Princess could see the small waves crashing against the sandy shore. Several small crabs were walking along, quickly digging holes right beneath them and hiding once the fiery girl made her descent.

Some of the particles at her feet turned to minute shards of glass upon coming into contact with the heat, leaving behind a small but noticeable reflection in the footprints. When she looked behind, she noticed the _Ashen Maid_ had retracted its sails and lowered its anchor, allowing the vessel to come to a full stop. For a second, she thought about flying back, but once again, she felt drawn to follow the voice within her head.

" _That's it. Closer. Into the forest."_

"Who are you?" the princess asked, but there was no answer.

She kept walking forward, until she eventually reached the vegetation that led into the wilderness. Being doubly careful not to start a forest fire, she did her best to not touch any leaves hanging from above, and kept her feet in the small patches of grass that extinguished almost instantly once she walked past.

It was hard to tell where exactly the path was leading, but she was somehow sure that it was the right direction to go.

Suddenly, rustling coming from some of the nearby foliage caught her attention, prompting the princess to rapidly form a flaming sword with her arm. But the noises were coming from multiple directions, and it was hard to pinpoint where her attention should have been focused. Expecting the worst, the sword was raised in a defensive stance. As it was, glint of yellow pierced through the bushes, but it was gone only a second after it appeared. Then another, but orange instead, followed immediately by the incoherent chatter of whatever was hiding itself.

"Enough of this," she said. "Show yourselves!"

Flame Princess' breathing halted as the noises did as well. All of a sudden, the only sounds were the low chirping of birds, and the soft rustling of the leaves. For a moment, everything seemed safe, until something peered its eyes through the leaves, and then showed itself.

The princess tried to keep herself from smiling, but there was no helping it. As she lowered her sword, the small creatures that had been stalking her for all this time slowly waddled their way towards her. Flamelings, they were called; a docile race of small creatures that inhabit the Fire Kingdom. They very closely resembled armadillos, in terms of both size and the armor that covered their entire backs (though theirs was made of coal). Their reddish skin made their bright yellow eyes stand out more than anything else. When they got excited, small bursts of fire shot out of their noses, startling even them at times. They were quite the famous pet among the fire people.

Flame Princess knelt down to greet the little creatures as they gathered around her, sniffing at her dress and chattering amongst themselves excitedly. She chuckled as he petted the head of one of them. From what she could tell, there were at least eight currently surrounding her, but there were probably more still hiding.

"What are you little guys doing here?" she asked. "I've never seen any of you outside of the Fire Kingdom."

She expected no response, of course; they couldn't talk. But seeing a group of them so far away from her home made her extremely curious. Perhaps it was the volcano? It was the only logical conclusion she could come to.

She leaned in to pet another. "Where do you guys live, huh?"

Surprisingly, they must have understood her to some degree, because the question made them look at each other curiously. They seemingly conversed to one another, but she couldn't understand what was being spoken. Once they were done, all of them scattered at the same time, morphing into their ball form and rolling away in the same direction, further inland.

" _Follow them,"_ said the voice inside her head.

Despite being hesitant, that is exactly what Flame Princess did. Going through more foliage, she followed the burnt trail left behind by the flamelings.

Eventually, she reached the base of the volcano that she had seen from the _Ashen Maid_ , with the small creatures waiting for her. In front of them, carved into the mountain's side, was a doorway that led into the lava-filled chasm below. There were strange carvings etched into the rock, but the fiery girl had no knowledge of any of them.

"In there?" she asked.

" _Yes,"_ replied the voice.

The flamelings seemed frightened for whatever was beyond the doorway, shaking and remaining in their ball forms for the entire time. However, not letting herself succumb to the same fear, she took a deep breath and walked inside.

A dense layer of smoke kept Flame Princess from being able to see what exactly awaited on the other side, but that didn't stop her. Any other person who tried to walk in as she currently was would no doubt be severely overwhelmed by the heat, but in her case, it was no bother in the slightest. Putting her hand in front of her, she reached the other side of the smoke cloud, and found herself in the volcano's crater.

The pillar of smoke made it difficult to see, but it was clear that clear the crater at the very top of the mountain was directly far above her. On her own level, Flame Princess stood at the edge of a crevice, where a large pool of magma was accumulated at the bottom. Try as she might to look around, there was no sign of anyone else in the vicinity.

"Hello?" she shouted, waiting to see if anyone responded.

" _Ah, so you made it,"_ said the mysterious voice. _"I hope my dear flamelings treated you kindly. Some of them tend to bite when hungry. They're adorable, but can be scared so easily. They see me as some sort of infernal goddess."_

"Where are you? And how are you speaking to me?"

" _Such an eager child. We haven't even had the chance to be introduced properly. While it may seem like it, I don't actually know much about you. I feel it's only customary. May you tell me your name, dear?"_

Flame Princess hesitated. "Phoebe. Ruler of the Fire Kingdom in Ooo. Now you tell me who _you_ are."

The entity chuckled. _"Very well."_

An instant later, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble, and she had to extend her arms to maintain balance. The magma pool below began to bubble greatly, until a sudden pillar of the scorching substance was propelled up instantly. Along with the sound of the magma itself was the loud cackling of a female, whose features became apparent as the pillar fell back down into the crater.

A fire nymph had risen from the fiery depths, tall enough so that her lower body was still covered by the magma, while her upper body reached a point just above where Flame Princess was. Her body was extremely emancipated, from her torso to her arms, and seemed as if she were nothing but a skeleton covered with a thin coat of fire. Long, swaying yellow hair covered most of the nymph's facial features, showing nothing but her small mouth twisted into a light grin. When the large entity leaned forward, Flame Princess had to balance herself once more when her thing hands rested upon the craters edge, right in front of her.

It took the young ruler every ounce of her willpower to not ready her sword, out of worry that the nymph would be angered.

"The name is Antorcha." Her voice was different; it had become raspy. "Nice to meet you at last, Phoebe. I have awaited this day for many moons."

Flame Princess took a second to gather her thoughts. "You've been…expecting me?"

Antorcha nodded. "I have foreseen many things during my years. Mostly flashes, but they were clear to me nonetheless. I knew you would come; I just didn't know exactly when. Oh, how joyous I felt when I saw you aboard that vessel in the sea. It's been centuries since I've had a visitor. The last ones keeping me company on this island are the little flamelings. The ones before them all perished or fled when the mountain erupted and burned their homes. But that was so long ago."

The nymph studied the princess further, seemingly interested.

"I must say, you are much lovelier in person. Such delicate eyes, hiding so many emotions at once. Love, confusion, fear. Yes, all traits of someone who has the wellbeing of an entire civilization resting upon their shoulders."

Flame Princess took a few steps back. "Why did you make me come here?"

Antorcha leaned back, seemingly in thought. "Like I said, it's gotten rather lonely here. But more than that, I'm very interested in learning more about you, my dear. I have many visions of things that have happened or are yet to come. And or some reason, I always find you among them. I see you, but I don't know why. With your presence here in my home, I may be able to finally get those answers." She moved closer. "I would like to see why you are of such importance."

Confused, Flame Princess took a few steps forward. "You…want to see my future."

"If you will allow it. I cannot say exactly what, but a fate of outmost importance awaits you in the future. I promise I won't tell you if I see anything…unpleasant. Once I'm done, you will be free to return to your vessel, if you so wish."

There was silence for a minute as the princess considered the offer. It might be dangerous for her to know some details about her future, but at the same time, there was no denying that the thought intrigued her.

"Okay," she said. "But make it quick."

Antorcha smiled widely, and used her hands to move her long strands of hair from her eyes. Flame Princess was taken back when they turned out to be completely white, and glowing like beacons. Shortly, the magma at the nymph's lower body began to glow brightly, and the smaller elemental felt something tugging at her mind. It was subtle, but there nonetheless.

"Let's take a small peak at your history, shall we?" No words were spoken for a moment. "Oh…so much sadness during such a young stage of life. A mother lost, and forced to live out your years in a cramped lamp. Many years spent in just one place…it's no wonder the ones that follow are filled with such joy. Being freed, learning about the world, experiencing great love for a human, and then taking charge of your people. So many accomplishments in such a short span of time. You must be very proud."

Flame Princess smiled, but quickly went back to showing no expressions as the nymph continued.

"Now, about your future…"

She eagerly awaited whatever response was coming, but there was none for the span of a few minutes. And in that time, the smile on Antorcha's face was gone, replaced with a look of unease.

"I see…I see…"

Flame Princess leaned closer. "What is it?"

"I see…people screaming in terror, within walls made of shining jewels, and a man…with a crown upon his head…looking down upon them all with a lifeless stare. I also see…a little girl, with eyes that are not her own, walking over the rubble of a city sacked by monsters…and she is facing another woman accompanied by a falcon. There is also…more screaming, and people falling into the scorching waters of a steamy isle. A city of happiness and joy…reduced to a haven for cutthroats. Amongst the pain, a familiar face shows itself, covering his surroundings in green flames with his dead hands, and yearning for destruction. And…in the middle of it all…you may lose someone very close to your heart."

"What?" the princess asked, mortified. "What does it all mean? Who would I lose?!"

Antorcha did not respond, continuing to look upwards with her dead eyes, while the bright glow of the magma pool seemed to intensify. When the fiery ruler stepped forward, a sudden gasp from the nymph made her jolt back.

"Doom is coming. Oh, so much death and fear and despair. And the one responsible for it all, it's…it's… _HIM!_ "

Right as Flame Princess was about to ask who she meant, the ground began to shake, and the lava began to bubble.

Turning her gaze to the princess, Antorcha's next words managed to sent chills right through her.

"Mertens…"

Once the name was uttered, the entire ground began to tremble, and the lava where the nymph resided began to bubble relentlessly. At the same time, a sharp pain shot across Flame Princess' head, making shout out in pain while gripping her head. Her vision began to blur as well, and her legs became too weak to support her, making her fall on her knees. But even through all of the blurriness, there was something there in her line of sight. It was faint, but she could make it out nonetheless. A pair of purple eyes, with one of them slightly covered by a strand of black hair, staring right into her soul.

As the pain reached its peak, she fell to the ground completely, and her vision began to fade into darkness. But before it did so entirely, she saw Antorcha still staring at her.

"I'm so sorry," she said, sounding desolate. "But I refuse to remain in this prison any longer…"

* * *

 **Note: Hmmmmm…nope. Got nothing new to say, really.**

 **-Guest: Patience is a virtue.**

 **-Ooobserver: I guess we shall find out.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: Thanks. I had a ton of fun writing that entire conversation.**

 **Next Chapter: Foreboding Stones**


	26. Chapter 26: Foreboding Stones

**Chapter 26: Foreboding Stones**

 _Quest for the Gems: Day 2_

 _Location: The Desert of Doom_

 _Time: 11:15 AM_

* * *

 _Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down  
_ _Where pretty girls are, well, you know that I'm around  
_ _I kiss 'em and I love 'em cause to me they're all the same  
_ _I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name_ _  
_

 _They call me the wanderer  
_ _Yeah, the wanderer  
_ _I roam around, around, around, around…_ _ **  
**_

While the upbeat song coming from Ice King's little radio did very little to help against the endless heat, it was at least jolly enough to keep the group's spirits up. That was another thing Finn could say the ice wizard was good for.

Trekking through the Desert of Doom while the day was at its mid-point was definitely no easy feat. Aside from Blayze, who was getting all of the energy necessary to continue while standing out in the open, Finn, Jake, and Ice King had to succumb to the constant heat. Even though the wizard could easily keep himself cold using his powers, constantly carrying around the large backpack that he was so hesitant to drop was making things difficult, even for him.

As soon as morning arrived, they set out to find their destination after a quick breakfast. Blayze was the only one who didn't eat anything, instead standing on top of a nearby hill where the sun shone upon him directly. He had his eyes closed the entire time, and when the human went to get him, he could hear the lightest humming coming from the elemental, indicating that he had been meditating the entire time. Once they set off, it took them several hours to reach their destination, but once they got to it, all they found was more sand and rock.

It would not be a Desert of Doom if part of it wasn't filled with sharp rocks, Finn figured. He had made doubly sure that the map Jake had stretched into his hand was leading him in the right direction, using one of his own paper maps and a compass, and there was no doubt in his mind that they were in the correct spot. However, either they were missing something completely, or the map was no longer trustworthy.

Everything around them was a maze. Rock formations twisted in such ways that made it nearly impossible to see what awaited beyond a corner. Every so often, they would take some time to rest underneath one that blocked the sunlight and cast a cool shadow, but it always made them uneasy. It was if they had walked into the maw of a large beast. Meanwhile, Jake had been the most uneased out of the group. Several vultures had been flying overhead ever since they arrived in the desert, and the dog would often look up to see if they were still there. The few times in which Finn was near him, he could a low whimper when it turned out that they were still in the sky.

Finn had to admit he was somewhat nervous as well, but for completely different reasons. Aside from the fear that they were currently on a wild goose chase, there was also the possibility of being attacked by the many dangerous inhabitants of the wasteland. And a fight is something that he wanted to avoid if possible. Unfortunately, the fact came to him after the group had already made a lot of noise communicating with each other from a distance, so making Ice king stop the music would probably make little difference. But Jake's nose would be enough to help identify threats; they were the heroes of Ooo, after all, and the human refused to be intimidated by a few lowly bandits.

After finishing another round of searching, the four of them gathered underneath another rock, taking some time to cool themselves (save for Blayze) before continuing on. Ice King turned off his radio in the meantime.

"Man, this is taking forever," Jake whined, drinking some water. "Are we sure we're in the right place?"

Finn drank some water as well before responding. "Unless you got some detail of the map wrong when you were drawing it on your hand, this should be the place."

"Not to sound like I'm doubtful, but we haven't really found anything that could remotely resemble what we're looking for," Blayze said. "In fact, what _are_ we even looking for? I know there's supposed to be some kind of gem, but where? In a temple, a cave, just up for grabs in an altar somewhere? Everything around here looks almost exactly the same. Nothing but stones, sand, bones, and even more sand."

"I have to agree with Matchstick," Ice King said. "I'm completely lost."

Blayze groaned. "I thought we agreed, no codenames."

Ice King gestured to Finn and Jake. "You don't hear Fleshy and Slobber complaining."

"Simon…"

The wizard raised his hand before Finn could continue. "That's Snow Cone to you, Fleshy."

"This place is dead," Blayze said, gesturing to everything around them. "And even if someone could hear us, I highly doubt they would care about our names."

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Finn said, standing between the two before their bickering went any further. "It's too early to be arguing about this useless math. Let's think about this. Now, if you wanted to make sure no one could find your precious treasure in a place like this, where would you-"

The human suddenly stopped when Jake suddenly placed his hand over his mouth. Before any question could be asked, the canine shushed all of them.

"Do you hear that?" Jake asked.

Upon allowing Finn to speak again, everyone focused their hearing. Try as they might however, the only sound was the eventually cawing from the vultures still flying overhead.

"I don't hear anything, man," Finn said.

"Me neither," Blayze followed.

"Oh, I knew this would happen," Ice King said. "The heat's already getting to him; he's going mad." The wizard prepared to shoot ice from his hands. "We're gonna have to freeze him till later. He's a threat."

"What? No!" exclaimed the dog. "Look, my sense of hearing is way better than all of yours, so just trust me when I say something's off."

"Wait, he's right," said the elemental. "Listen."

Suddenly, everyone else could hear it as well; a low droning sound that grew ever closer with each passing second. Blayze was the first to draw his weapon, not taking any chances. Finn followed immediately after, and Ice King and Jake both raised their arms in preparation to use their magical abilities.

The noise got to a point where it felt like it was right on top of them, over the jagged rocks that kept them hidden in the shade. It was like a high-pitched squeal that continued on and on with no end. None of them saw anything however, and it only made them all the more paranoid. Before Finn was about to suggest a plan of attack, the source of the noise peered around the corner, prompting Ice King to immediately shoot a bolt of ice before they could even see what he had suddenly attacked.

Upon making contact, the ice simply shattered, seemingly doing no damage to whatever the wizard had attacked. The human told everyone to hold position, despite he himself wanting to start attacking just as much as them. This brief moment was enough to let them analyze what was before them; a small disk-like hovering object, with a pink outline that glowed like neon. Its center was polished steel, and the intense sunlight reflected off of it.

Finn was the first to step forward, keeping his sword at the ready.

"Are you friendly?" he asked, uncertain if he should have been expecting an answer.

The hovering disk did nothing for a moment, but then a bright pink light shot from it, startling the group as it was revealed they were being scanned. Finn raised his hand to make sure none of the others behind him did anything rash, even though he could sense their unease along with his own. After a brief moment, the light suddenly disappeared, and the disks began to hum as its glow pulsated, like a heartbeat.

Just as Finn took a single step forward, another bright light came from the flying object before him, blinding the group for a split second. No sooner than their sight came back, each of them immediately felt something lunge right at them and wrap itself near their faces; not too tightly, but just enough so that it would not come off no matter how hard each of them tried to pull it off.

"What just happened?!" Blayze shouted.

The human turned to his companions and realized what the situation was. The disk had split itself into four identical parts, and each of them now had it fused around their necks. Ice King had no luck removing his, the same as Finn, and Blayze could not melt his off no matter how much he increased the intensity of his flames. Jake tried to stretch himself in every single way imaginable, from growing larger than normal, to shrinking himself to the size of an ant. But no matter what the canine tried, the disk around his neck only adapted to the change in size and would not budge in the slightest.

After he got tired, Jake eventually fell to the ground, breathing heavily. "What…are…these things? I hate collars!"

Finn tried once more to pull on the one around his own neck, but there was no way to get a good angle.

"I have no idea," he said, admitting temporary defeat.

Ice King was the only one still trying. "AGH! This thing is wrapped around my beard! It looks stupid!"

Suddenly, another light came from each disk, all converging in between each member of the group. A few seconds later, a shape began to take form within, and Finn could almost immediately recognize the face looking back at him.

"Grand Master Wizard," he said with gritting teeth.

A hologram of GMW now hovered before them, no bigger than Jake during his normal state. His hands were folded together in front of him, and they were hidden underneath his white robe.

"Finn the Human," he began, "I have received your terms regarding your hunt for the gems that power the Cinder Gate, and after some thorough thinking, I have decided to accept them. However, just to be careful, some safety measures had to be taken. The collars wrapped around the neck of you and any other person accompanying you serve as tracking devices. They will remain locked in place until the day comes that we meet to discuss our actions, and I will personally remove them. Or they will be removed automatically should you die; whatever happens first. This is done to ensure that you will not take these gems back to the Fire Kingdom without me being present. I'm sure someone like you can understand. If all goes well, we can end this without any more violence."

The hologram became a bit distorted, but the image became clear almost immediately. The Grand Master continued.

"I have given the order that my men are to no longer pursue you during the duration of this quest. Your collar is equipped with a small switch located in the back of your neck. Once you have gathered all of the gems, just press it, and I will know that it is time to meet. And hopefully when we do, I will have found a way to show you reason."

"You know I never go back on my word," said Finn. "Is this really so necessary?"

The hologram said nothing for a moment. "By the way, this is a pre-recorded message. So I will not be able to hear anything you say. Grand Master Wizard out!"

Suddenly, GMW's image was gone, and the group was let staring at one another.

"Well this is just great," Jake was the first to comment. "It's bad enough we're in a scorching hot wasteland, now we got a crazy wizard tracking us wherever we go!"

"Is it really so surprising?" said Ice King. "That big mop is one of the most paranoid wizards I've ever met. He always ruins the fun."

Blayze ran his finger over the collar. "If these are made purely with magic, I highly doubt anything will get them off. If we try to cut through them, chances are there's a fail-safe that'll make sure they stay in place. All we can do is deal with them until the journey's over."

Finn hated to admit it, but Blayze was right. GMW got the drop on them.

"Okay," said the human. "Let's just find what it is we came for and move on. Now we have more of a reason to finish as soon as possible."

Everyone else just nodded. Groaning from having to step into the sun again (save for Blayze), the group continued their search for anything suspicious. If the walking was tedious before, now it was even worse with how uncomfortable the collars around their necks were. So, in an attempt to make things easier, Ice King began playing another song. This one was a bit smoother and somber than the last, keeping a steady rhythm before the singing began.

 _Strangers in the night exchanging glances  
_ _Wondering in the night, what were the chances  
_ _We'd be sharing love before the night was through_ _  
_

 _Something in your eyes was so inviting  
_ _Something in your smile was so exciting  
_ _Something in my heart told me I must have you_ _  
_

 _Strangers in the night  
_ _Two lonely people, we were strangers in the night  
_ _Up to the moment when we said our first hello, little did we know  
_ _Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away…_ _ **  
**_

Finn hated the fact that the lyrics were making him sad, and for a reason he knew all too well. Nevertheless, he cast aside those feelings and turned to Ice King, showing as much of a blank expression as possible.

"Hey Ice King?" he said, drawing the wizards gaze. "Do you think you could, I don't know, play something a bit livelier?"

Jake could immediately notice the reasoning behind his brother's request, but he made no comment.

"Sure thing," Ice King replied.

As soon as the next song began, Finn felt his sadness melt away almost instantly. This one was catchy and was accompanied by the quick strumming of guitars

 _An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day  
_ _Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way  
_ _When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw  
_ _A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw…_ _ **  
**_

The search went on for about an extra half and hour, and for a moment, Finn was starting to think the map Jake had and the one he was reading on paper were both completely wrong. That is until he heard the magic dog screaming from a distance.

"Guys! I think I found something!"

Quickly, the other three members of the group went in the direction of the call, finding the yellow canine standing before one of the many other rocks in their vicinity. But there was something different about this particular one; its shape was smoother, resembling more of a large slab instead being made naturally. Even more curious were the markings engraved on its surface, which were rather worn from time, but still clear enough to make out each symbol completely. Finn failed to recognize any of them however.

Once all were standing before the stone, they studied it carefully.

"Could this be it?" Jake wondered.

"Very likely," Blayze replied.

"How so?" asked Finn.

The elemental stepped forward. "These markings…they're part of the ancient fire elemental language."

"Can you read it?"

"I can try."

Blayze narrowed his eyes; his mouth lightly moving as he translated the words in his mind.

"The first part reads… _Offer the touch of Olden Kings._ I can't quite make out the rest, but from what I can tell, it's probably some sort of protective rune spell. Meaning that smashing through this thing is most likely a no-go."

"That doesn't tell us much," said Finn. "Olden Kings?"

"I don't know," Blayze replied, seeming just as confused as the rest. He ran his hand over the rock's surface. "Maybe it's a metaphor? Or maybe-"

Before he could finish, the elemental was forced to take a step back as the markings on the stone began to glow bright yellow.

Soon after, a small tremor began to shake the ground beneath the group, making them step even farther away from the stone as its structure began to shake violently. As the seconds passed, small cracks began to appear along the stone's surface, making the aforementioned light shine its rays in different directions. When the glowing became too bright, everyone covered their eyes and braced for the worst, until one final large tremor made them fall to the ground from loss of balance.

When the dust began to clear, Finn and the others coughed as they tried to make out their surroundings. As far as they could tell, not much had changed aside from the amount of sand that had been blow into the air. Most of it surrounded the site where the stone had been; it was making it hard to tell if it was still there or if had disintegrated completely.

"What…what just happened…?" Jake asked, able to stand on his two paws again. He turned to face the source of the blast. "Uh, guys…"

Before Jake could finish his sentence, the dust had cleared away enough so that the others knew what he was about to say.

The stone that had been standing before just mere seconds prior was gone, turned to a pile of rubble. In its place, however, hovering in mid-air, was the source of the yellow light they had been exposed to. A shining jewel, perfectly rounded and no bigger than an apple, seemed as if a star was currently within reach of the four adventurers.

Finn was the first to move, despite his brother seeming unsure about messing with the like of such an abnormity. But he human knew just by looking at it that they had found it; one of the jewels needed to open the Cinder Gate.

Slowly, he reached out to grab it in his hand, expecting it to be hot in some way, but it was quite the opposite. The stone's surface was actually cool, and he could grab it without any fear of it damaging his skin.

"This is it," he said, his eyes fixed on the trinket in his hand. "The first jewel."

Figuring it was safe, the rest of the group moved in around the human, looking at the stone for themselves.

"Ooh, shiny," said Ice King.

"Three to go now," Jake added. As the magic dog eyed the yellow, he took notice of a second source of light underneath it. "Finn, your mark!"

Just as Jake said that, Finn noticed that he was in fact holding the jewel with his marked hand. Noticing that it was glowing purple underneath, he quickly dropped the bright object to check what was happening. And just like that, a hologram appeared right in front of Finn's face, being projected from his palm.

It was a map of the Land of Ooo, there was no doubting it. All of the major locations he had come to know over the years were on it: The Candy Kingdom, Fire Kingdom, Grasslands, everything. Three locations in particular were marked, and Finn could only assume they were the next destinations in their journey.

"It's telling us where to go," Finn said.

Jake stepped forward and studied the map. "The Emerald, Mountain, and Jungle Kingdoms. Hm, they ain't exactly close to each other."

"But with your powers, Jake, we can get to each one in just hours," Finn pointed out. "We could be done with this trip in just a few days!"

"Closest from here is the Emerald Kingdom," said Ice King. "I've gone there a few times to try and ask out Emerald Princess, but she really liked playing hard to get." Everyone eyed the wizard judgmentally. "What? Don't worry, I'm over her."

Scoffing, Finn disabled the map, and picked up the jewel to place inside his backpack. Then, a realization made him turn to Blayze.

"Blayze," he said, "why did the runes on the rock react when you touched them?"

The elemental seemed to have been expecting the question, but he appeared confused as well. He looked at his hand.

"I…I don't know. I honestly didn't expect that to happen."

"You keeping secrets, boy?" Ice King asked.

Blayze appeared shocked. "What? No! I legitimately have no clue as to what happened."

"Look, it doesn't matter now," said Jake. "Let's just get out of this place already."

"Agreed," said Finn. "We have some ways to go before the journey's end. The sooner we get the rest of the jewels, the better. Especially since Grand Master Wizard is tracking where we are."

Everyone else nodded, but Blayze still seemed conflicted.

Using his powers, Jake stretched his body underneath the legs of the others and made himself grow large. Once they were all secure, he began to walk.

"You know, I was expecting to run at least a few bandits or something," Ice King said. "But for a place called the Desert of Doom, it's pretty boring."

Everyone else agreed, except for Jake, who suddenly stopped his walking. When Finn leaned forward, he noticed that the dog had one of his ears raised.

"What's wrong?" asked the human, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Jake turned his attention to a nearby rocky ridge, taking a few sniffs of the air, but as far as the others could tell, there was nothing in sight.

"Hm," was Jake's only sound. "Thought I heard something, but it must've been the wind. False alarm. Alright, let's go get those gems!"

As the canine began to walk once more, Finn one more glance behind him, noticing Blayze staring at his hand in deep thought.

* * *

Even though the scope's glass was stained, the image was clear enough so that the image that the user was seeing unmistakable. Out of all the times he had heard the description of what to look out for, the sight below definitely fit all of them.

"A human," he said, smiling underneath his spiked mask.

"Human?" said the one sitting next to him, skinny, wearing rags, and excited about the news. "H-human! Didn't the boss say she was looking for one? There he is! Let's get 'em!"

He was bonked on the head with the scope.

"Be quiet!" said the larger man. "They almost saw us once. Don't be giving away our position by shouting. We may be able to hide our stench from the dog, but his hearing's still good."

The skinny one rubbed the place where he was hit. "But why not attack now? They don't know we're here yet!'

"They're out in the open and will see us comin' a mile away. No; for now, we follow at a distance on our mounts, and strike when they're cornered."

He raised his scope again, watching the group currently leaving the area. He smiled once more.

"When we bring back her prize, the boss will praise us with showers of gold."

* * *

 **Note: (Generic excuse about taking too long because of too much work and little inspiration) I should probably remember to update my profile more often with this info…**

 **Songs used in this chapter were "The Wanderer" by Dion, "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra, and "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash. This is normally Fiery Crusader's thing, but hey, it was fun.**

 **-Guest: That we shall.**

 **-Ooobserver: Only time will give us answers, I suppose.**

 **-Bio team2: Asking the deeper questions, are we?**

 **-Anonymous: She should be ashamed.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: It seems our heroes can only trust themselves at the moment. We shall know who is what eventually.**

 **-Guest: Thanks!**

 **-dnguyen686: That would be quite the twist indeed.**

 **Next Chapter: A Game of Risk**


	27. Chapter 27: A Game of Risk

**Chapter 27: A Game of Risk**

 _Quest for the Gems: Day 2_

 _Location: Somewhere in the Grassland Wilderness._

 _Time: 2:22 PM_

* * *

From such a high altitude, it was almost impossible to see anything through the dense mist below. The tips of several pine trees were all that could be spotted in any direction, and the only thing that could be used to gain a bearing was a single tall mountain in the distance.

The wind was cold, but bearable, and there were no signs of rain currently falling from the darkened sky, although that was not the case several minutes ago. But every so often, a strong gust would cause a loss in balance, and the view would shake for a brief moment before becoming stable once more. Overall, it seemed as though not much could be gained when it came to tracking during such conditions.

 _Down._

Almost instantly, the view shifted towards the earth below, and the cold mist soon opened the way to the forest that hid underneath it.

Even at such a high speed, maneuvering through the dense woods felt just as simple as taking a gentle stroll through it. Branches protruded from the trees left and right, and yet none of them ever seemed to make contact. Almost everything else seemed crystal clear as well, from the water drops on the leaves, to the small lines of ants marching to get out of the cold and into their colonies. Suddenly, sharp claws covered most of the view forward, and a small mouse was caught between them.

More trees covered the way forward, but it was nothing a few quick turns couldn't maneuver around. Left, right, left, left, and a quick pass underneath a large trunk was all it took before Huntress came into view, meditating on a rock in the middle of the woods. Just like everything else, landing on her shoulder proved relatively easy.

As Gaile began to feast on the mouse he had caught, Huntress opened her eyes, only to let out a sigh after remembering there was really no point in doing so. All she got was a hands-on experience of a bird enjoying its meal, no matter which direction she turned her head.

"At least you can follow orders well enough," she said as the falcon finished eating. "Maybe this could still work out."

Once Huntress had gotten a decent grip on seeing through another set of eyes, Weimar deemed that she was ready to travel through at least some of the safer regions. She hated thinking back to her first few attempts at walking. Nearly everything in front of her was a hazard for tripping, and she would have fallen over completely if her grandfather had not been there to help. It was like a baby learning to walk all over again; she felt nothing but shame.

But as always, Weimar had several things to point regarding this new adapting process.

"It's not just eyes you share," he had said. "You also share minds. Both can feel what the other is feeling; understand what the other is thinking. In order to properly work as a single unit, both must reach a sincere bond of trust in order to communicate. Only then can you say Gaile is not just there to help you see, but to help you function as the person you once were. But that will only come to pass if you help him as well. One mind, one body."

Although skeptical at first, Huntress was starting to understand what her grandfather was talking about. Every time a thought came to her mind as to what Gaile should do, the bird immediately followed the command. And the same could be said for the other way around, as he warned her of incoming hazards during her travels. While she could not hear a voice, she could still _feel_ what he was trying to get her to understand. An odd experience, to be sure, but one that she would have to get used to as time went on.

However, she begrudgingly had to admit that fighting was beyond her, even though it had only been a few days since starting.

Something as simple as shooting her bow proved difficult. Since her sight was now slightly more upward than before, her aim was off, and she would mostly end up missing her mark. As frustrating as it was, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony: a woman known as Huntress Wizard, unable to hunt. If it wasn't for her stubbornness, the first few tries would have been enough to make her break her bow in half. But she refused.

Since the day that she rescued Finn from prison in Wizard City, Huntress couldn't help but feel something…ominous was afoot. It was difficult to explain but, deep inside, she felt that training to master her combat skills again was crucial. More so if she hoped to get payback for her stolen eyes.

Somewhat satisfied with the day's results, Huntress stood and began to make her way through the wilderness.

As she walked, the weather began to clear, making it easier to see what was in front of her while moving. By this point, hopping over small stumps and rocks was simple, so long as her pace was steady. Gaile still had the urge to look other ways every so often, which still made it difficult sometimes.

 _Forward._

A simple word, but one that made the falcon turn his head in the right direction. Even if a certain bond had to be reached between them, Huntress failed to imagine how she would begin to do so without putting herself at risk. One way or another, the day will come when the two must work as a single mind during an intense battle.

"Easier said than done," was all she could think.

Once the ground became flat enough to where a keen lookout was unnecessary, Huntress reached for the necklace that hung over her chest, getting a good look at it through Gaile's eyes.

It was a small vial, no more than a few inches big. A cork was tightly secured its opening, keeping the bubbling pink substance within from pouring out. Every time she shook it, it glowed vibrantly for a few short seconds. Something so small and simple, and yet it was the most important item she currently had in her possession.

"Keep it safe at all times," Weimar warned as he handed it to her a few days prior. "But also keep it somewhere relatively easy to reach. The substance inside this vial requires materials that may no longer exist in the wild. This might be the only batch I will ever be able to make for you."

"What does it do?" Huntress asked as she took the vial in her hands.

"It's a very special tonic that, upon drinking, will restore sight to your own eyes. But only for one day's time. Use it only when _absolutely_ necessary, during a time when Gaile is not enough to get you through a deadly scenario. It may just save your life. But, if you manage to master sensing the world through your falcon, you will never need drink it."

She felt like the vial was just there to mock her. The key to being able to see normally again in the palm of her hand, reduced to just some temporary resort.

Sighing, she let the vial hang from her neck once more. Weimar had been nice enough to place some protective runes on it, so at least she didn't have to worry about it breaking from a fall. That being said, she also planned to defend it at any cost.

As the edge of the woods came within sight, so did Huntress' home, still hanging perilously from the cliffs overlooking her hunting grounds. Dangerous as it seemed however, she hardly minded it. She placed spells around the homestead to ensure it did not fall to woods below. The river that gently flowed down towards the cliffside was a bit rougher than usual due to the rain, but it was nothing mayor to be concerned about. Rather than head on in, Huntress decided to remain outside for a while longer and sit at the edge of the cliff, looking over the land as the sun started to shine over everything once again.

With a quick whistle, Gaile moved along her shoulder until he was standing on her forearm, where she could move him freely and point him in any direction without moving her body. For this instance, she decided to point him towards her face, half expecting to see his face directly. But in reality, Gaile only served as a live mirror, and she saw herself instead.

It was still jarring for Huntress to see her eyes looking different than how they did before, but she greatly preferred it over the complete black nature of them during her trance following the Witch of Tears incident. She never quite saw the results herself, but based on what Weimar had described, it made getting adjusted to a new set a bit easier.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?" she asked the falcon. "Do you feel the same way as me? Do you find it annoying having to be stuck beside a complete stranger for most of the day, wandering around as they try to adjust to a new way of life like some child?"

Huntress expected no response, of course. Though she half expected to get some semblance of understanding regarding Gaile's feelings. Instead, there was nothing. The bird remained still, keeping his eyes fixed on her solemn expression.

"I figured," she said. "You probably don't care. You still get to fly around wherever you please without consequence, and hunt as much prey as you want when we travel." She turned her eyes way, not wanting to be staring at herself for her next words. "I don't plan on being modest; I hate you. I hate having to rely on you. These woods were my playground, and I could hunt in them as much as I pleased. Now…now I've been reduced to nothing but some sort of handicap."

Once again, there was nothing. Weimar said that the two of them would be able to feel what the other was feeling, but all she felt complete silence. Maybe he fully understood what she was trying to say. Or maybe, as she said, he just didn't care, because he might have felt the same way about her. After all, he was practically a servant now.

A sudden gust of wind lightly shook Gaile, making his vision become rather distorted, and so hers as well. It was a slight annoyance at first, but the more it happened, the more she got used to it. The only thing to be done was wait. What neither of them were prepared for, however, was that they would see someone standing behind them as soon as their vision cleared.

Huntress had seen several people of the Fire Kingdom during her years. But never, in any occasion, did she run into any that were missing a face and standing right behind her.

Gaile, noticing the immediate threat, lifted himself up in the air with his wings. As Huntress turned herself and summoned an arrow with a swift motion, he landed on her shoulder once more, giving her the opportunity to see the impending threat. Strangely enough, there was no one to shoot at.

Both of them moved their heads from side to side in sync, trying to locate whoever it was that they had spotted. The longer they looked, the more Huntress wondered if she was just seeing things.

' _No,'_ she thought. _'Gaile reacted as well. That couldn't have been a vision…could it? I've never seen a fire elemental like that before.'_

After realizing that they were truly alone, Huntress made her arrow disappear. Gaile, who had his wings up in case he needed to fly, put them down again with a steady motion.

' _I guess falcons see weird stuff all the time? I swear…'_

"You care for him…"

The soothing voice she heard coming from her right startled Huntress, and she was met with the faceless fiery figure once more. She summoned yet another arrow.

"Who-"

Before the wizard could finish her question, the specter raised her arm, and she felt a finger being placed on her forehead. Just as suddenly as it happened, a bright flash of light blinded her and Gaile, prompting the feathered animal to raise its wings in order to protect their sight.

Not even several seconds passed, and the flash was gone, along with the mysterious woman who caused the phenomenon. Huntress still had her arrow ready, more than willing to shoot the moment she spotted the one responsible again. And yet no matter how much her and Gaile looked around, they were met with two problems: the woman had completely vanished, and they were no longer in the same location as before.

The two now found themselves surrounded by dense wilderness once again. Yet unlike her hunting grounds, Huntress did not fully recognize any of the terrain.

"What just happened?" she wondered out loud. "How…did we just get teleported?!"

During her time among wizards, Huntress knew that teleportation was not impossible. But she had never witnessed it being done so suddenly, and so cleanly.

Taking a moment to calm down and collect her thoughts, she tried her hardest to make sure that these woods were unknown to her. Most of her hunts spanned over most of the wilderness in Ooo, so chances were high that she had gone through the location at least once or twice.

The first thing she noticed was that the air around her was more humid. Rather than leaves, most tress had vines hanging from their branches and all the way down their trunks. It was also louder in terms of the sounds the many animals made, and the air was filled with countless small insects, as well as more along the nooks and crannies along the floor.

"Hm, it definitely feels familiar," she said. "Maybe…Oh no…"

Just as soon as her realization came, several loud chants from the dense flora surrounding her confirmed it was already to late to run. Nearly a dozen bows were being pointed at her from every direction, along with several spears. The and women who threatened her with such weapons were all bare, save from some clothing items that covered their waists and chests, and some were also decorated with bones. Their skin was covered in all manner of tribal symbols, mainly purple and yellow. The skin itself varied from person to person, from teal, to purple, to light blue, and their hair also featured these vibrant colors.

"Great," mumbled Huntress. "This is the last thing I need."

From the brush, another woman stepped forth, carrying a spear in one hand. Her weapon seemed much sharper and deadlier than the rest, and her head was lined with a crown fashioned from a skull. Once both women were within arm's reach, Huntress spoke first.

"Jungle Princess. Been a while, hasn't it?'

The monarch of the woods did not seem happy in the slightest. Even though Huntress could have easily dodged it, she stood still while receiving a firm slap across her cheek. She tried to play it off by smiling and rubbing her now red cheek.

"I've missed you too," she mused.

"Do you remember what I told you the last time we spoke?" JP asked.

Huntress turned her head to the side, even though Gaile allowed her to keep her sight on the princess. "I believe it was something along the lines of: _If you ever set foot in these woods again, you'll regret it_."

"And I still hold to those words. Why are you here?!"

"A better question," Huntress countered. "What are _you_ doing all the way out here instead of being in your tribe?"

"We were on a hunting expedition," she replied. "Along the way, we heard some kind of explosion and decided to investigate. How the gods must despise me for making me come across you of all people."

"For the record, I wasn't planning on being here today. Someone, I don't know who, transported me here all of a sudden. If you can just point me in the right direction, I'll be on my way."

Jungle Princess chuckled. "I was too merciful on the day I banished you from my kingdom. But, be it by your will or not, you are here again. And now that I have been reminded of your actions, I think proper justice in order this time around."

With a single shout in her native language, two of the spear men behind Huntress walked forward and grabbed her from behind. Gaile tried to peck at one of them, but he was wiped off with a single strike and sent to the floor. Huntress felt some of that pain, and now she was seeing everything as if she were an ant on the floor. Without being able to fight properly, trying to resist would only end badly, and the last thing she wanted was to waste her tonic here.

"Oh come on, you're _still_ holding a grudge to that?" the wizard asked. "I said I was sorry countless times! I didn't know-"

"A simple sorry does not excuse your actions!" JP responded violently. "We will go back to the Motherwoods, and there, we shall decide what fate awaits you."

With another command, the tribesmen brought forth a medium-sized cage. Though meant to hold any prey they caught, they used to jail Huntress for the trip ahead.

Once the group started moving, Gaile finally got the strength to stand back up. The captured wizard had no choice but to see herself be taken away from his eyes, before suddenly being taken through the trees as her falcon flew upward.

After breaking through the countless leaves, Huntress could now see the direction in which she was being taken. A tree, more gargantuan that all the others, stood on the horizon.

* * *

The constant dripping of water coming from the edge of the cell was enough to drive anyone insane, and Flint was getting closer to that point with every passing second.

He had woken up surrounded by the dark, sturdy walls built to house the strongest of prisoners. The only other object in the cell was a metal plate with several pieces of coal within to keep him fed. Any little amount of light he got at any time was the dim orange hue coming from the torches on the walls. Judging by the fact that there were never any other voices being heard, he was the only one currently being held in such a place.

For the few days that Flint had been locked up, the only interaction he ever got was with the cloaked man that brought him more coal. He tried to get some semblance of information from the older man every time he came, but to no avail. No words were ever returned, and after many failed attempts, Flint decided not to pry anymore.

And still the dripping persisted. The past days had to have been constantly rainy for so much water to continue pouring. Had it not been for his people's weakness to the substance, Flint would've done something. But as long as the Blackbell Knights were concerned, any problem that did not affect them was not worth fixing, and that meant not caring for possible hazards involving their prisoners.

In order to pass the time, Flint could only keep looking back to the moment he was captured. To think that a fire elemental could somehow read his thoughts…It was unheard of. Then again, so was Candice's ability to bend more elements besides fire.

' _Who…no,_ _ **what**_ _are they?'_ he constantly wondered.

His head jerked when the sound of a door opening echoed through the hall. At first, he thought it was the cloaked man coming to bring him more coal. To his surprise, when the dim light of another fire elemental pierced through the bars, he was met with the face of a young woman.

At first glance, one would think she was out of her element in this dark environment. She didn't bare the look of a warrior; she didn't even wear any sort of armor. All she had was a red cloak with the hood down to reveal her chin-length hair. She also didn't seem like she wanted to be there. A sense of unease covered her gentle face. But what caught Flint's attention the most were her purple eyes, which very closely resembled Rigel's.

"Who are you," he asked, standing up and walking closer to the bars. He then noticed that, while she was clearly not the same man as before, she still brought coal with her.

"I came to bring this," she said, handing Flint his food. "And…to meet you, I suppose. I never got the chance to do so before-"

"You evaded my question," Flint interrupted. "I didn't ask what your business was. I asked who you were."

The girl seemed rather nervous, but bowed her head respectfully. "My name is Robbyn. I'm Rigel's twin sister."

Flint leaned on the bars. "The weird mind reader? And the one responsible for me being here?"

Robbyn seemed hesitant to look him in the eye. "Yes."

"Can you do that too?"

"No. Only he can. He was born that way. Candice uses him to prove if a soldier is truly dedicated to joining the Blackbell Knights or not." She finally looked at Flint, and appeared saddened. "I'm sorry if he acted rude. He's seen…a lot. Many of the soldiers here have suffered through so much, and my brother has experienced that same pain. He may act like he has no emotions, but he does care for his comrades, and me."

Flint looked at a single piece of coal in his hand, and then ate it, prompting his body to suddenly flash with new energy.

"Well, I'm Flint," he said. "So, if not mind reading, do you have some special power of your own?"

Robbyn put her hands together. "No. At least not-"

"She's a genius."

From the shadows of the hall, Candice's figure peered its way into the light. Robbyn stood straight in welcoming her leader, but Flint only showed disdain in his face.

"You won't find a more brilliant alchemist in all of Ooo," she said, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "And she's a tremendous tactician."

Robbyn seemed to blush. "Supreme General, you're too kind."

"Am I? How many battles have we won because of your strategies? And how many men got to see another day because of your healing? I lost count."

Candice looked to Flint, who turned his gaze away in response. The hooded woman turned back to Robbyn.

"Go on now, little bird. I have some business to discuss with his man."

The young alchemist bowed her head and went on her way. Flint watched as the silhouette of her red cloak faded down the hall until it was fully gone, then turned his gaze to Candice.

"I suppose I should be honored by your presence?" he asked mockingly.

"Not at all," she replied. "Like I said, I'm here to talk business. Mainly, the business of getting you out of this wretched cell."

"How so?"

"By accepting my offer to join us. But join us without attempting anything you'll regret."

Flint scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Of course! We may have had a slight hiccup, but that doesn't change the fact that your experience would be useful here, Flint. We are heading on an expedition soon to complete a very crucial job, and I would like you to be a part of it."

She leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart.

"I'm not asking for any vows from you. Just like with every other member of the Blackbell Knights, all souls present in this fortress are here because they want to be. Rigel, Sadr, Igneous, Robbyn; every single one of them ready to stand and fight for the good of the land. And the spread of that good begins when we go on our march to wipe each kingdom of lawless gangs and thieves. We are soldiers of honor; we don't kill civilians, no matter how much we may be paid. The world is changing, Flint. And soon, everyone in Ooo will finally know our name."

The two of them remained quiet for a short while, with Flint pondering each word.

"If your intentions are to bring justice to the land," he began, "I can't really say I don't commend it; even though I've never really liked mercenaries. But…I still don't understand why you need me to be among your men. As powerful as your organization may seem, I am still loyal to my sister, and to the Fire Kingdom."

Candice let out a chuckle. "So am I, Flint. As all fire elementals should be. But you are a person who yearns for battle. And believe me…there's a massive one approaching over the horizon. One that, if possible, I would like to keep from happening. However, if it does come to pass, _everyone_ must be willing to take up arms in this great game of risk and death."

She looked down at her hands, her amber eyes now showing a hint of sorrow.

"I've…been witness to war for far too long. I will tell you _everything_ you need to know. But, if you won't listen to a woman hiding behind a mask, then perhaps…seeing each other face-to-face will be more than enough for you to hear my words."

The fiery woman slowly raised her hands and lowered her hood and mask.

Had it not been for the bars in front of Flint to keep him standing, his sudden loss of balance at the sight before him would've sent him tumbling to the ground.

"No…" he said in a whisper. "You…you can't be…"

* * *

 **Note: I thought about making both of these instances two separate chapters, but figured that they would be too short on their own, and all of you deserve more after so much time. So here we are, a chapter featuring Huntress and Flint, after me being caught up in months of work and inconveniences. But now let's get to what everyone is talking about lately: the series finale.**

 **Gotta say, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. Mainly because I thought there would be a lot more stuff going on with the Gum War, and almost all the villains from the show coming together to fight in it. But overall, I did enjoy what we were given, very much. And yes, Finn was never confirmed to have ended up with someone by the end, but personally, I kinda like that. I always enjoy when a series leaves the future of certain characters up to the fans. When it's acceptable, that is. I know Bubbline was practically necessary to confirm, seeing as how it was the most popular paring (which was great). Poor Simon though…**

 **Overall, I loved all of it, and I'm sad to see it go. But better to end great than become mediocre over time, as is sadly the case with some other shows. Here's hoping I can start updating regularly again soon. Next chapter will be told from Jake's perspective, so that should be pretty fun. But for now, you guys let me know your own thoughts regarding this long-awaited finale.**

 **Side Note: I'm still working on Sentinels as well. Several new ideas have forced me to rework certain events I already had planned without contradicting anything I've already written, and I haven't exactly finished.**

 **-Fiery Crusader: I will try my best to remain inspired, and I wish the same for you.**

 **-Anonymous: I'm glad I was able to capture the essence of the show.**

 **-Ooobserver: Threats will just keep piling up, whether of not our heroes are prepared to deal with them.**

 **Next Chapter: Desperate Times**


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